Queen of Thieves
by APseudonimo
Summary: Castle AU: In the times of the King Bracken's tyranny, people can only rely on Katherine Beckett and her Merry Men to have money to pay the high taxes and food to survive the hunger. But what happens when Sheriff Lockwood's man, Richard Castle, is sent to infiltrate Beckett's men ?. Co-written with wolfergirl.
1. Prologue

This is the prologue of a story I'm co-writing with wolfergirl.

We are very excited about it and we can't wait to hear your feedback!

Hugs,

Vicky and Alex

Before I forget, we do not own Castle nor anything related to the show. All credits go to ABC and Andrew Marlowe.

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**_ Prologue._**

There was a time when the world didn't have tall buildings and luxurious mansions; when the cities were small towns and the forests were big with lush vegetation. It was the time when a band called _The Outlaws_ stole from the rich and gave to the poor.

The outlaws were men and women who had done something against the laws of the land and had been forced to hide in the woods to survive. They lived like a family, respecting and caring for each other. They lived in peace.

You must be wondering how a bunch of thieves and lawbreakers had come to live in harmony. It was because they were not bad people. They were victims of King William's tyranny. The evil king of the House of Bracken who ruled the lands exploited his peasants with high taxes. And anyone who refused to pay their taxes had to face the sheriff of New York, Hal Lockwood.

The reign of King William and his sheriff was marked as dark times, and no one would stand up to them. No one except a group of outlaws that followed the orders of their leader: Katherine Beckett.

Katherine Beckett was born to a nobleman and his wife. They too had fought against King William's dictatorship. Beckett's mother had given up her life for her ideals, and now it was Kate's turn to fight for what was fair.

With Beckett as their leader, the outlaws tried to bring about a little bit of justice. Dressed in suits of green, and armed with bows and arrows they would wait for rich carriages to pass by to steal the fortune they carried. Whenever they had taken anything, Kate would divide it fairly among them, giving to each man his just share.

Kate never let her outlaws hurt innocent people. Only rich, corrupted people were their target. She was kind to the poor and often helped them, giving them money to pay King William's taxes.

Beckett was idolized by many people in the towns nearby her forest. She was considered a friend who would always help when others were in need. She was considered the mother of the orphans and the savior of the poor.

There were just two people that hated the woman. King William and Sheriff Lockwood. But nothing they did seemed to stop Beckett's mission or make the people hate her. They had raised the taxes to punish the villagers since they couldn't punish Beckett; they had closed the schools and burned the stables. With each royal order, the people loved Beckett and her outlaws even more.

That's when King William decided to send a spy into the forest. A man who would get close to the outlaws, learn their ways, lead the King's army to them and finish with the convicts once for all.

The man they had chosen for this dangerous mission was the son of the most notable spy of all time, Richard Castle.

This is not a love story. This is a story about deception and failure. A story where there is no happy ending but a lot of disappointments and false hopes.

This is the story of Kate Beckett, the last Queen of the Thieves.


	2. Beckett

Here comes the first chapter!

Hope you guys like it! :)

Alex and Vicky

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Kate was sitting on a tree branch by the roadside. The Merry Men had gone hunting and she had decided to stay on the roads to watch the travellers. Rumor had it that the king was organizing a huge party, and huge parties meant many rich people moving through the forest. Alas, it seemed that the rumors were not true.

While she was listening to the birds fly between the trees, she saw a young man passing by. He wore old and dirty clothes, so Kate didn't bother hiding. She studied him with curiosity. It wasn't normal for a peasant to travel alone, unless he rode a horse – and this man had no companion, horse or otherwise.

He spotted her faster than Kate expected. The peasant had a handsome face with a pair of beautiful blue eyes. He hadn't shaved in a while, but the rusty, stubbly look suited his face. He smiled at Kate but didn't say anything. She guessed he was studying her at well.

Beckett didn't dress like a typical lady. She wore tight pants and leather boots. Even though she had three or four layers of shirts, one of her shoulders was always bare. A leather belt pressed the shirts against her slim body, allowing a knife to be nestled by her hip. Her hair was combed in a simple braid, a stark contrast to the horned 'dos of most gentlewomen. It was obvious that Kate was not Lady material – not that she cared.

"What can I do for you?" she asked after a while.

"My name is Richard," the man introduced himself. "I am looking for Beckett."

Making a split second decision, Kate acted as if she were just another person. One of the perks of never showing her face was that few men knew who she really was. She fought with a hood and the donations were sent with one of the Merry Men. No one really knew her true identity.

"Can you take me to her?" Richard asked.

"From which family do you come?"

She jumped from the tree, bow in her hand, and approached to him with determination. Kate didn't like to be in the dark when men searched for her.

"Castle." She allowed her surprise to show. 'Castle' was the name of all the bastards of the King's lands.

"And what do you want with Beckett?"

"I want to join the Merry Men." Rick explained. "The sheriff has set his men on me. I attacked one of the sheriff's men. He tried to burn my sister's house down." It was all a lie, but he sounded convincing. He was trained to do so.

Kate studied him in detail, trying to ascertain if his story was true. She raised an eyebrow and without saying a thing she put her fingers in her mouth and whistled.

A black horse appeared out of nowhere, taking Richard by surprise. Kate took a piece of cloth and handed it to Richard. He looked at her, confusion etched on his features.

"What's that for?" he asked.

"Do you think I'll let you know where our home is?" she replied, dryly. "You can cover your eyes once you get on the horse."

She climbed into the animal first and then helped Castle up to sit behind her.

"Now cover your eyes and put your hands on my waist."

"Why, touching on the first date," he said with a grin. "A little forward, is it not, Miss?" She rolled her eyes.

"I want to make sure that you are not peeking as we ride."

Richard covered his eyes and held on to her waist. With his sight gone, his hearing and sense of touch were enhanced. He could hear the singing of the birds, a river running nearby, the sound of the horse's hooves on the dusty path. A river: that would be important for him to determine where The Outlaws lived. He also relied on the horse's gallop to know the distance between the place and the nearest city. And he could feel her comforting warmth. It almost made him lose concentration.

"So, do you do this with the men you find in the forest?" he joked.

"Only the ones with a death wish," Kate replied nonchalantly. She heard him gulp. Of course it was unconsciously: Richard Castle was not afraid of anything.

"Why would you say that?" he enquired.

"Because people that wish to join the Merry Men are either brave or stupid," the woman explained. "So, which one are you, Richard Castle?"

Before he could reply, she spurred the horse on, their speed increasing. He tightened his grip on her waist. Riding with his eyes shut was not pleasant at all.


	3. Family

Second chapter, yey!

Feel free to tell us your opinions and ideas!

Hope you guys enjoy it.

Alex and Vicky.

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Richard Castle knew exactly when they arrived at the camp. The shouts of men fighting sounded all around them as Kate brought the black horse to a halt. The smell of fresh meat filled the air, making Richard's stomach rumble. Kate looked over her shoulder at him, smiling at the befuddled expression on the blindfolded man's face.

"We're here. You can take the cloth off, now." With a flourish he regained his sight, squinting at the bright sunshine.

He dismounted quickly, landing lightly on both feet and taking a look around. As his escort slid smoothly off the steed, two younger men grasped the horse and led it off to an area populated with other animals.

He glanced at the woman beside him. She had an air about her that told him she was a force to be reckoned with. His gaze travelled up and down her body, noting the bulge by her waist where a weapon was concealed, the bow at her back lying in the familiar position with a cord of thick twine running across her chest, accentuating her femininity. A rose-red quiver of arrows rested next to it, the intricate weaving catching his eye.

As she led him across to a group of men he could see the toned muscles flexing in her legs as the coarse material of her pants fluttered around her body, and couldn't help licking his lips uncomfortably. She took him over to two men, one tall, towering over even him – no mean feat at his height of over six foot – the other small, wiry, with alert, intelligent eyes.

"Kevin," the smaller one introduced himself, before gesturing at his companion. "This is Javier – but we folks call him Little Javi." The pause prompted Richard to give his own name.

"Richard – my friends know me as Rick," he said hastily.

"Well, _Richard_," Kevin smirked. "What can we do for you?" He gulped. When the sheriff had sent for him, he had accepted the challenge with professional enthusiasm, imagining the infiltration of the bandits to be easy. Now, faced with the real thing, he wasn't so sure. His cocky expression returned to hide his fear.

"I'm looking for Kate Beckett – doesn't she run things round here?" he pointedly swung his head from side to side, seemingly searching for her. Kevin looked at Kate and saw her eyes dancing with mirth. He cleared his throat to get Richard's attention.

"You've found her." At the other man's confused splutter, he nodded at the woman in their company.

"You – _you're_ Kate Beckett? Leader of the Merry Men? King William's most hunted enemy?" The corner of her mouth lifted in a sneer as she stared coldly at him.

"Who were you expecting? Some aged hag with no hair and a wart on the end of her nose? Am I not good enough for you?" By now, a crowd had gathered around them, watching the interaction with amusement.

They knew from experience that Beckett's gentle appearance was wildly different from her personality – she could outdo them all in wit, stealth and skill but also in kindness, patience and generosity. And they definitely knew that you didn't question her if you wanted to survive.

"But – gentle lady – you're too young – too pretty – too _small_ – and-" the rest of his protestations were lost as the young, pretty, gentle lady grasped one of his wildly flailing arms and twisted, pinning it behind his back as he collapsed to his knees on the forest floor, shoulder almost popping out of its socket.

"What was that?" she whispered through gritted teeth.

He whimpered. The low tone of her voice was scarier than he had expected.

"Am I too young?" She tugged on his arm, causing him to squeak in pain. "Am I too pretty?" Tug. "Too small?" Tug. "Too _gentle_?"

"No – no, Beckett. Please – let go of me?" She released him and he clambered up, wincing under the stony-eyed glare of the woman in front of him. Suddenly she spun around, hair flicking him in the face as she set a fast pace in the direction of a clearing. He scrambled to follow her.

"Come on, city boy. Let's see what you can do."

Not many men chose to join the Merry Men once leaving their hometowns, mainly because the life of one of Beckett's men was not a safe for one with a family. The few who made the decision to join were put to the test to see if they were good enough. It consisted of a physical fight and an archery contest, held in a clearing not far from where their camp was based.

"He can move, I'll give him that," Kevin muttered in her ear after watching him fight for a while. He and Kate were resting against a tree, whittling a set of arrows from a nearby stack of wood.

In front of them Richard was battling Little Javi, and the pair were moving in circles, breathing heavily, their swords held at the ready. They had been at it for a good hour, Javi putting the new man through his paces to see if he had it in him to be part of the Merry Men. Beckett grunted, switching her attention to the sparring men. Javi had clearly called it a day and they were heading in their direction, weapons sheathed, faces red, and chatting animatedly.

"What's your story, Richard?" Kevin asked abruptly. "Why are you here?" The easy-going smile was gone from the other man's face in an instant.

"The sheriff's men attacked my sister's house. Apparently defending your family is treason." As the two Merry Men processed the information, contorting their faces into sympathetic smiles. Beckett gazed around, distracted, reaching for her knife. A twig snapped.

In a fluid motion Beckett was up, darting after a man in green. Within seconds he was held in her vice-like grip, knife at his throat.

"Josh?" The man looked up, eyes wild, lowering his gaze in deference when he recognized his captor. "What are you doing here?"

Kevin and Javi took a pace forward to stand at their leader's shoulders. Richard bobbed from foot to foot behind them, craning his neck to get a better look at the scene unfolding.

"I – I was looking for you." She raised an eyebrow, releasing his collar. "To ask – to say-"

"Yeah?" The impatience was obvious in her voice.

"Who's the new guy?" Josh glared at the bouncing man behind the two esteemed outlaws. Beckett sighed, and put her knife away, picking up the fresh arrow shafts and placing them in her quiver.

"Who are you?" Richard chirruped, waving. The other man's suspicious expression deepened.

Beckett interrupted their conversation by snapping her fingers. They flinched, turning their attention back to her warily. _No time for bonding when Beckett was around..._

"Back to camp, men. Let's go."

They were running through the forest to be back in the camp by sunset, and it was evident that Beckett, Kevin, and Javi were among the fitter of the group. Richard was being cajoled along by her two closest bandits, and Josh was panting alongside her.

"Beckett?" Irritated, she barely glanced across to see who was talking to her. "Beckett – can I talk to you?"

"You are talking already, aren't you?" she snapped. He was new to the group, and nothing was more evident. He still had a lot to learn, in terms of skill and respect, even though his boyish looks and charm had the younger members of the outlawed villagers fawning over him.

"It's just – you know I fought against Sheriff Lockwood, well – I couldn't help but notice, but his movements are almost identical to the sheriff's.

"So you think that he's one of the sheriff's men? I know you're new, but it's that same story as all of us – we defended our families!" She tried to tone her voice down, aware that he still hadn't grasped the concept of The Outlaws yet. "Even so: who I accept into my men is my business, not yours."

"But they were the regimented moves. He knows them too well, they're too familiar to him."

Beckett sighed again.

"We are supposed to be like a family, could you at least check it out?" he said, trying to catch his breath.

"Ok. I'll send some men to the city tomorrow to see what they can learn about him." He had a point. There was no reason to not take Josh's theory seriously – he may need training for the Merry Men, but he was one of the most morally sound people she had met.


	4. Questions?

Hola!

Here is chapter 4 with a little bit of background story; let us know what you think about it. And if you have any thoughts or ideas, don't forget to share :D

Hugs,

Alex and Vicky.

* * *

The men had return from the city with information on many Castles, which didn't surprise Beckett since Castle was a common name. Unfortunately, none of the information seemed to fit her Castle. She concluded that if she wanted to know something about the newest addition to her Merry Men she'd have to do it herself. Even if Josh was sure that Richard was one of the Sheriff's men, something told Beckett that the truth was more than that.

As any other day, the Merry Men woke up early to start with their morning activities. They were divided into three groups with different schedules so the work could be optimal, each group rotating to cook, clean and train. Carpe Diem, seize the day; that was Beckett's motto and so it was the Merry Men's as well.

"Kevin, Javi." She strode over to her two best friends and the two newbies in the practice field. "You two against Josh, show him some more advanced moves."

They nodded, picked up their swords and moved to a space between the trees, where they started teaching Josh a couple of new moves.

"Castle, you are with me."

"Are we going to do archery?" he asked excitedly.

"No, we are going for a run."

"For a run?" Castle looked confused. "Why don't I get to learn survival stuff like Josh?"

"Want to know rule number one to survive in this woods?" He nodded, tipping his head to the side in curiosity. "Never question my orders."

Usually Beckett didn't leave the camp without her bow and arrows, but running with them could be tricky, and as it wasn't necessary for that particular moment, she decided to only take her knife as a weapon. Beckett loved running, getting up especially early to do it every morning. And every morning it was a new challenge, a new adventure; she never picked the same route twice, she liked to find new paths. Mostly she liked the control: she couldn't control the weather, but she could control the distance, speed and trail. When she was running it was just her and the wood; no problems, no sheriff, no King. And then there was that after-running sensation, it made her want to run more, further, faster. It was her addiction. It was her life source.

"So, what's with you and Kevin?" Castle asked when they stopped. They had ran for a good two miles, and Beckett was impressed with his endurance, given that he had seemed less than comfortable with the run back the other day.

"He's my brother, she replied, stopping next to him and taking a deep breath. Her skin was flushed red from the harsh breeze fluttering through the trees, and tiny beads of sweat trickled down her brow. Despite the chilling wind it was a hot day, and her usual four layers had been reduced to just one, leaving her pale shoulders on display. The muscles bunched as she raised her hand to brush a stray hair out of her eyes, and his gaze travelled to her neck framed by the deep green tunic that matched her sparkling eyes. Her beauty was tantalizing.

"You don't look that similar," the newbie pointed out, gawking at her bare shoulders.

"I adopted him," she said shortly. She didn't even know why she answered his questions. She should be the one asking them. She was supposed to be delving deeper into his previous life, after all. "What about your sister?"

"I still don't get it. How did you adopt him?" Castle ignored her question. "How much younger than you is he?"

"There are five years between us. My father was fighting in the crusades and my mother was too busy rebelling against the King's men." She didn't like giving too many details about her personal life. "I was alone and so was he, so I adopted him. We kind of adopted each other, actually."

Castle processed the information and began to run again, evading Beckett's question about his sister. The problem was that there was no sister he had saved, so he had had to make up a lie. And the thing about lies was that they always sucked and the truth eventually came out. So avoiding the topic was the best way to avoid, or at least delay, the truth.

"What about Javi?" he asked when they stopped for a second time, after running another couple of miles.

Castle was good at his job, maybe the best in the realm. He had managed to ask everything he wanted to without answering any of her questions. He could sense how much that annoyed her. She was used to be in charge, not only with the Merry Men but also before her life as an Outlaw, when she was a Lady. Castle could deduce that by the fact that she adopted Kevin just because she felt alone. Castle could tell that just from the way she had controlled her loneliness by forging a friendship with Kevin.

"My father brought him and another girl, Lanie, from the crusades," Beckett explained. She had accepted that Castle was going to be the one doing the questioning, but that didn't mean she liked it. She had a vague thought that if she answered them, he'd shut up that much sooner and finally answer hers. "He found Lanie in an alley, all dirty and abandoned and he decided to bring her so I wouldn't have to grow up alone. Javier's father sacrificed his life to save my father's, and as a token of gratitude my dad brought Javier with him."

Talking about it brought memories back. Kate remembered the first time she saw Lanie and Javier entering through the Beckett household'sdoor with her father. She had felt a little jealous towards both of them at the beginning, thinking they would take away her father from her. After losing her mother, Kate had become a little bit possessive over her father. The jealousy then turned into rivalry, especially towards Javier and particularly when he and Kevin became best friends. But after a while she realized that Javier, Lanie, Kevin and she were just an odd family. A smile appeared on her face when she remembered all the things the four of them used to do when they lived in Huntington.

"What are you staring at?" she asked when she realize Castle had his eyes fixed on her.

"Your smile," he replied softly, longing to reach out and caress her cheek. It was the first honest answer he had given in a long time. "It could light up the sky."

"Flattery won't get you anywhere," Kate murmured, trying not to blush.


	5. Too soon?

You can thank Alex for the length of this chapter, I think I have never wrote something this long :P

Hope you guys enjoy it

Vicky and - the awesome - Alex

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"Come on, Castle." Richard looked up to see Beckett motioning him over to her. He jumped up from his position by the broth pot and jogged over to the tall woman, greeting her with a warm smile.

"Good morning, Beckett." She didn't answer, instead handing him a bunch of arrows and casting a quick eye over him.

"Do you have a bow?" When he shook his head in the negative, she huffed, turning her back to him to root around in a pile of what had appeared at first to be timber.

On closer inspection he found it was a pile of discarded bows and quivers. Beckett straightened up, an olive green quiver with corresponding bow held in her grasp. She tossed them to him, reaching down to pick up her own and taking off towards the trees. He stared at the bouncing braid floating down her back. Remembering just in time that he was supposed to be following her, so he bounded after her, beaming widely as he registered that actually, this time they _were_ doing archery.

"Have you shot before?" Richard squeaked as the voice appeared to come from behind him.

He spun round, jaw dropping as he registered the woman leaning against a tree with her arms crossed and an unamused expression on her face. _Stupid_, he berated himself. _First rule of combat: never take your eyes off your opponent_. Beckett took a deliberate step towards him, lip curled.

"Did I scare you, Richard? Maybe you haven't got what it takes to be one of my unshakeable, un-shockable Merry Men."

He barely ducked in time as her wrist flicked, a knife embedding itself in the bark of the tree that stood directly at his back. His eyes widened. Even he couldn't do that.

"My first rule, Richard Castle: always cover your back. I could have killed you." She darted under his arm and plucked the weapon from the wood. "So, have you shot before?" she repeated.

He had shot before; in fact, he was pretty good at it. But there was no need to tell her that. He could toy with her for a while. Mutely he shook his head. Beckett sighed. She plucked a freshly feathered bow from the quiver and took aim at the tree. Letting the arrow fly, she turned to see Richard looking her, confused.

"How are you supposed to know if that's a good shot or not?" he asked, gesturing towards the shaft that protruded from the oak. She scowled.

"That's the centre of the target. We make a new one each time, or else it's easy to see where we train, and where we live. Now it's your turn." The man hesitated.

"I'm not sure I saw it very well. Could you do it again?" Gritting her teeth, Beckett repeated the action, leaving another arrow vibrating just above the original.

Who was this woman? No wonder the Sheriff had never caught her: she possessed a grace and a skill that was hard to match, even among the elite soldiers of the King's Guard.

"Wouldn't it be more of a challenge if they weren't standing still?" He knew he was becoming the annoying apprentice, but oh how he enjoyed driving her crazy.

"What?"

"Surely the targets in real life aren't trees, Beckett. They're moving. How can you teach me to shoot if the targets aren't moving?" She stared at him disbelievingly, then let out a bark of laughter.

"Ok, Castle. You show me how it's done."

Clumsily he strung his own bow, roughly mimicking her stance and squinting at the 'target'. Closing his eyes, he let go, only to open them and groan when he saw he'd missed her arrows completely. She smiled at his frustration, leaning forward to wrap her body round his.

"It's not a duel, soldier. Look: square up to the target-" she twisted his shoulders round. "Feet shoulder distance apart-" she kicked his feet with her own, hammering at them until she deemed them in the right position. "Good. Now, make your left thumb, the arrow head, and your right hand all in a straight line." She eased his right arm back, noting subconsciously how suited his muscles were to the action, the tight tendons of his shoulders tensing under his tunic. She couldn't help but wonder how much power those arms – hell, that _body_ – held.

The twang of the bow string startled her and she flinched away from him. Glancing at her, Richard smirked. It was hard for him to concentrate with Beckett being so close to him. He could feel her breath on his neck, her body pressed against his. It was so tempting just to reach out and run his hand down her side. Without realizing, he let go of the arrow.

_"_Oops. Shot too soon."

She smirked in return, handing him another arrow and raising an eyebrow in jest. "You know, we could always just cuddle, Castle." He snorted. _Oh, he wished._

They carried on until Beckett glanced up at the sky. "Looks like it's time to eat, city boy. Grab your stuff, and let's get going." Without waiting for a reply she left him to follow as she made her way back to the camp.

At the edge of the clearing, the brunette stopped. In front of her were the many people she fought for and with, and she could name each and every last one of them. They were her family, and she would gladly give her life for them. They were a team. In Beckett's team, no one got left behind.

"Kate." She strode forward to meet Kevin who was making his way purposefully towards her. "Will spotted a group of nobles heading this way. We thought we'd head out." She accepted a bowl of stew as she processed what her brother had just told her.

"How many?" she chewed thoughtfully.

"Six horses and two carriages."

"Guards?"

"Four, guarding two men, and a handful of women in the wheels."

"Estimated worth?"

"About a 7." So on the wealthier side of their scale. Beckett made her decision.

"We'll take them. I want five men plus Javi, and I'll bring Richard. It'll be a good experience for him. We're expecting more frequent arrivals as the festival approaches, so see if you can sort out the plans for that."

"You got it." Beckett moved past him to speak to Javi, letting him know that he was wanted for a job. As he sheathed his sword and picked out a handful of Merry Men to go with them she cast her gaze over the camp to try and locate Richard, finding him chatting casually with some of the younger Outlaws.

They were a handful of girls whose fathers had either been exiled from the King's city, or who had chosen to leave after they had returned from the Crusades to find their country in turmoil and their King corrupt. She recognized them all. One of them was the daughter of her oldest bandit, and was clearly the leader of the small group, laying a hand on Richard's muscular forearm and twirling her hair round her finger. As she simpered, Kate felt something stir in her chest, but the leader of the Merry Men beat it down. She definitely did _not_find her newest recruit attractive. Definitely not.

"Castle." He turned, accidentally brushing the girl's hand off him. "Get your weapons. You're coming with us." Richard's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she had to refrain from staring deep into them, instead busying herself with her own quiver.

They flitted in and out of the trees like sparrows, darting from one side of the chosen path to the other. Their suits of Lincoln green fitted in perfectly with their surroundings, and Richard found it increasingly difficult to keep track of where they all were. He tripped over a tree root, stumbling and flinging his left hand out to hold on to the nearest thing was apparently a person.

The both went down, rolling over and over in the heather as they collected twigs and stones in their hair. The man he'd collided with lay underneath him and was doing his best to wriggle out from under the bigger man's weight. They both struggled up.

"You idiot!" the man spat, shaking out his limbs and picking up his knife from where it had fallen. "We've lost them!" With a final glare in Richard's direction he dashed off in the direction the others had gone.

Muttering to himself, Castle followed. It really wasn't his day.

"Where have you been?" Beckett hissed at him, latching onto his collar and dragging him up into the tree beside her. "How on _Earth_ did you manage to get lost already?" He didn't answer, making himself comfortable in the bough of the oak. "Stay here. Target should be here soon." He nodded, getting out his knife and holding it ready to attack. "Castle." The man in question met her gaze, and was surprised by the anger in them. "_Stay here_. I do not want you anywhere near us, ok? You are strictly an observer."

With that, she was slithering down the trunk, landing silently in a crouch. It seemed to be some sort of signal, as all around them other figures were dropping to the forest floor, bows at the ready, waiting for Beckett to make the first move.

Castle could hear hooves in the distance, accompanied by the low hum of conversation and the swish of carriage wheels. If leaned a little bit further forward, he could glimpse Beckett moving in the undergrowth to where the party would approach from, so she could grab the back of it while the other men moved to the front. It was fascinating: they had complete trust in each other, and appeared to know each other's' movements inside out, taking and reforming formation constantly so as to find the best position to attack from. He had never seen such coordination between bandmates in his life - not even his colleagues in the King's Guard fought like that.

The whinnies grew nearer. Holding his breath, Richard watched as six sleek horses broke through the trees and galloped straight towards where he was. He edged across the branch he was perched on to get a better view of the action, eyes glued to the men below who were tensing and preparing to fight.

All of a sudden there was a yelp as a barrage of leaves exploded around Beckett's head. She looked up, startled, to see the one and only Richard Castle hurtle out of the tree she had left him in to land at her feet. As the Outlaws were revealed the targeted men spurred their horses on and soon left the pursing bandits in the dust. Some of the Merry Men tried to run after the target, but the six horses were faster. Without the advantage of surprise it was hard to finish a steal where horses were involved.

"Castle." The fury in Beckett's voice made him flinch. "Which part of "_stay here_" don't you understand?" She reached down and pinched his ear between her forefinger and thumb, twisting it and drawing him up to stand beside her.

"Ow! Ow-ow-ow-ow, Beckett!" he howled, squirming. "I'm sorry! All I wanted to do was watch! I lost my footing – ow, woman! Let me go!" She did, and strode away from him, expression full of disgust.

Having returned from chasing after the carriages, Javi glanced at his leader's stormy face. "What happened, boss?" he asked, curiously, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Castle," Beckett snapped with barely concealed anger. "That – that – ugh! He ruined that steal completely! I expressly ordered him to stay out of it!"

"Maybe you shouldn't have brought him? Maybe taken him on a smaller one?" The voice of reason did nothing to calm Beckett down.

"If he can't handle the big ones, maybe he can't handle being here," she muttered darkly. She let out a shrill whistle, and her black horse emerged once more. Springing on to its back, she threw a smoldering glare at the man who had caused so many problems. "Let's go."


	6. Meredith

Did you really think that Caskett would have it easy on our fanfic? well, nope, they won't. And things will start to get rocky from now on Muahahahahaha - Yeah, we have an evil laugh.

ALSO... We changed the rating of the fic from K+ to T. I don't even know why I put it K+ to start with. Whatever. It'll probably not get more 'mature' than this...

Sit and enjoy the ride!

Alex and Vicky.

* * *

Despite the fact that he had ruined their last pillage, most of the Merry Men were friendly towards Castle. He was also very popular among the female outlaw population. They were around him all the time, except when Beckett was with him; he still didn't know if it was out of respect or fear. He didn't complain about their attention, because who didn't like to be treated like a King by a bunch of beautiful ladies? But sometimes it was tiresome.

Out of all the women who followed him, only two had caught his attention.

The first one was named Gina Cowell. She was in her mid-twenties – the younger side of the outlaws - with blonde hair. Part of her attraction was her kind temperament, with a persistent personality and a sweet voice. The only bad thing about Gina was that Castle could see that she wanted a serious relationship, not a quick love affair. And Castle was definitely not ready for anything that lasted longer than a day.

Meredith Harper was second woman that he had set his eyes on. She was the bladesmith's daughter, with hair as red as her temper, her mood as unpredictable as a volcano. Rick liked that about her. Plus she had already made it clear that she was interested in having some fun with no strings attached.

And then there was Beckett. Richard Castle didn't just like Katherine Beckett: he was completely crazy about her, about that mystery he was never going to solve. She was the sexiest woman he had ever met in his life, but she was also completely out of his league. Making a move on her was risking all the progress he had made up to now, and that was something he couldn't afford to lose.

So the choice was between Gina and Meredith. That wasn't _that_ hard. Rick took out a silver coin from his pocket, turning it round and round in his fingers as he debated what to do.

'Heads for Gina, tails for Meredith,' he told himself and without giving it a second thought, he flipped the coin.

The sheriff's finest spy watched the piece of silver turning in the air, deciding his future. He caught it with his right hand. Who would be his next victim? Castle could feel his heart rate raising for no particular reason; he was choosing a girl, not a wife. It was no different to his conquests at the King's castle, so why did it feel different? After calming himself down, he opened his hand. Tails.

'The redhead is it!' he thought with a smile.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, at least for Castle. Beckett had taken Josh to see how his shooting skills were. He spent the whole afternoon waiting for them to come back, worrying that Josh may have more chances with Kate than he did. It bothered him to think that she might choose Josh over him. Jealousy bubbled up in his chest, but he subdued it with a grimace. He needed to stop all those feelings. After all, in a couple of weeks or months, all the outlaws would be behind bars and he would be spending the reward the sheriff had promised him. He couldn't be tied to the criminals, romantically or otherwise. It just couldn't happen.

By nightfall, everyone had finished their chores and was sitting around a bonfire, eating, drinking and laughing. As the feast finished and it started to get darker some outlaws left the bonfire to get a good night's sleep. Castle could recognize Little Javi among them, following a girl that had the same skin color that he was ignoring him but the man didn't stop talking to her. Others, like Kevin and Kate, stayed to sing the traditional songs of the campfire.

Thank God Rick had grown up with his mother. She had taught him all those songs, although the chances of hearing one of those melodies along the hallways where he had completed his combat training was less than zero. 'Peasant songs' were forbidden in Sheriff Lockwood's castle.

The Outlaws acted like a huge family, and for the first time in a long while Castle felt as though he belonged somewhere. Richard remembered when he left his home to meet his father: he thought he'd feel good with his father, but it was nothing like that. The songs that warmed the night air sent a feeling of contentment to his knew moments like this would make his job harder in the end, but he didn't care. He felt good, and how could something that felt so good, so _right,_ be wrong?

The spy found himself staring at Kate, her profile was illuminated by the fire's light. She looked ravishing from where he was sat, the flickering of the flames making a beautiful palette of shadows on her hair. She was talking with Kevin and Josh - why couldn't he be with her instead of that bumbling idiot?The warmth of a hand on his leg brought him back to reality. He lowered his gaze to find a hand resting on his inner thigh. Sadly, it was not Kate's. It's was Meredith's. She looked at him with a smile in her face and leaned towards him to whisper something in his hear.

"Why don't we get out of here?" Rick grinned in response. One of the only things that his father had taught him was to never allow a pretty lady to ask the same question twice. He nodded and grabbed her hand eagerly.

The couple tried to leave the bonfire without being seen. However, nothing that happened on the camp was went unnoticed by Beckett and Kevin.

"Aren't you going to stop him?" Kevin asked her. "At least to warn him?"

"Why should I?" she retorted, seemingly unconcerned as they watch Rick and Meredith's silhouettes disappear between the trees.

"We know Meredith's reputation-" her brother started.

"And he is a grown up man, I'm sure he figured that out," Kate replied dryly and then turned to continue listening to Josh's story.

Nothing would ruin this night for her. Not even Easy-Meredith and her new victim, the ruggedly handsome Richard Castle. Or that's what she wanted to believe. Deep inside, she was furious with them both. With Meredith for being such a whore and Castle for not being the chivalrous gentleman she thought he was.


	7. Run!

Hola, guys!

From now on we will be updating during the weekends, probably on sundays - that's why this week you had two updates.

Other than that, thanks for ready, reviewing, following, favorite-ing, etc. Makes us happy :)

Hugs,

Vicky and Alex

* * *

This one goes to _Reeny_, who gets bossy when she likes what I write.

* * *

The gallop of six horses broke the silence that reigned on the dark, cold woods. The sheriff and his men were getting closer to their prey. Kate and her mother, Johanna, were being chased by the Sheriff himself and three of his finest men. Four men against two women. That was the bravery of the King's guard.

Johanna had been charged with had been giving bread to some outlaws, apparently that was assisting the enemies of the crown.

"Katie, watch out!" Johanna screamed just in time for Kate to dodge a knife that was directed at her head.

"We are almost there!" the younger woman screamed back.

They were headed to a small church outside a neighboring town,the only place where Johanna could hide for a while. The sheriff's men couldn't enter a church unless they had a permit from the Cardinal, and although it would eventually be granted, it gave the two women a chance to come up with a plan.

One of the men caught up with them and was aiming to jump onto Johanna's horse. Gracefully Kate threw a knife at him, hitting him in the center of his chest. The dead man fell off his horse while it kept running without a master. In another situation Kate would feel bad for killing someone, but their lives were at stake. It was him or them.

The sky was purple and light blue with the sunrise. It would have been a beautiful spring dawn if they weren't being followed by four, now three, evil men. The smell of the morning dew filled her lungs, not only with that fresh scent but also with hope.

A cry caught her attention. She turned to face her mother, who still rode at her side.

All of Kate's fear became real.

Johanna was lying on her horse, an arrow buried in her back, the feathers fluttering in the wind. She was not dead, but she was losing a lot of blood. And if someone didn't treat the wound soon, it would get infected.

"Mother," Kate said, voice strained and cracking. "Stay with me. We are almost there."

With her last ounce of strength, Johanna extended her horse's rein to Kate.

Riding with one hand and pulling her mother's horse with the other, Kate managed to keep riding towards their destination. But the men didn't stop. If anything, they were getting closer to the women. Kate spotted the churchat the top of a hill, only a short distance away from them. A little ray of hope brightened the girl's soul. She spurred on her horse to make him go even faster. Her steed was exhausted, she knew, but he followed her directions, putting an increasing distance between the King's men and them.

For a second Kate Beckett dared to think they had won.

For a second she believed what the people say: that rubbish of 'good always wins'.

But so much can happen in a second.

The sheriff's scream of 'aim, fire!' The sound of two arrows piercing her mother's already torn body. The panic that invaded her when she saw the lifeless body of her best friend hit the ground.

It took one second for everything in her life to turn upside down.

In a rash attempt to avenge Johanna's death, she let go of her mother's horse and turned to charge towards the man that had killed her mother. Kate shot one of them down before she felt the thud of an arrow against her left side.

The burning sensation made her lose concentration and control over her horse.

The burning sensation woke her up, gasping in terror. Her breathing was frantic, her heart was pounding, sweat pouring off her forehead as the adrenaline left her body. Kate tried to calm herself in vain. She needed fresh air. Without stopping to think, she grabbed her belt and knife and started running away from the nightmare and the camp.

Kate remembered the night her mother died as if had been yesterday instead of five years ago. She had dreamed of the scene over and over again; sometimes she tried to control the Kate in the dream, desperately trying to see if she could change the inevitable. But her actions didn't matter: one way of another her mother always ended up dead. Maybe it was destiny's way of telling her that she couldn't have changed the events of that night, even if she went back in time.

The leader of the group was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't hear someone running towards her, falling to the ground as someone tackled her, too late to react. She instinctively reached for her knife and pressed it to the throat of the man above her.

"Do you always act like this towards the men that are on top of you?" an irritating, yet familiar, voice said.

"Get off me, Castle!" she spat angrily when she realized who had knocked her over.

"I can be on the bottom as well, I don't mind," the newbie joked and rolled to the side to lie next to her.

Between the trees' leaves he could see the sky getting lighter. The sun was starting to rise. It was still too early for the animals that inhabited the forest to be up and around, so there was no movement around them. It was still, and peaceful.

"I'm guessing I'm not the only one who couldn't sleep." He broke the silence. "What's troubling you?"

"Not your concern," she replied unemotionally as she felt warmth radiating off his body. It contrasted with her other side, which was uncovered.

His silence took her by surprise. As much as she hated answering his questions, if there was something she had learned about Richard it was that if he was determined to find out about something, he would persist until he succeeded. Then again, his silence felt like a huge question mark, like if he was not asking very loudly.

"How's Meredith?" she asked looking into his eyes. She had never had him so close; she had never lain so close to him. A part of her wanted to tell him the truth - she had a weird sensation that she could trust him. The other part of her was still mad at him for leaving the bonfire with Meredith. That redhead knew how to ruin her life.

"She's crazy." He looked terrified for a moment, then smiled. "I feel like I just entered a tornado."

"That's because you did," Kate replied honestly. "Meredith is - well, she's not girlfriend material." The woman tried to say it as nicely as she could. "But you already knew that, didn't you?" He grinned.

"I didn't know she would be so intense," he confessed. "In everything. I mean, the sex was awesome but -" Castle felt his body get tense as he stopped talking. Talking to a woman about sex was unacceptable, even if Kate was more tomboy than woman he still needed to respect her.

"Yeah, everyone that had sex with her says the same thing." Beckett replied without any regard to what her companion was thinking. "Don't worry, she'll get bored of you eventually."

"Oh, she won't. I have a lot of tricks," Richard said without thinking.

Kate ignored the comment and sat up, wrapping her arms round her legs and propping her chin on her sky was completely blue now. The Merry Men should all be awake and ready for their tasks by now. It would be a matter of time before they started to wonder were their leader was.

"Come on, Castle," she said, standing up and stretching. "I bet there's certain redhead waiting to have breakfast with you."


	8. Jealousy?

Thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites!

And now, our weekly update

Hugs,

Alex and Vicky.

* * *

As they drew closer to the camp, a flash of red startled both Castle and Beckett.

"Richard!" it screeched, clinging to him like a leech. "Where have you been?" Meredith seemed to suddenly notice Beckett watching with amusement. "You haven't been with _her_, have you?" she accused, glaring at the leader of the Outlaws.

"Meredith!" Castle chastised, a flush spreading slowly up his neck. "Don't speak to Beckett like that."

Aware she could quite quickly become the catalyst for an argument, Beckett backed away, suppressing a glare of her own and heading towards Kevin. She had an urge to slap the redhead's hands away from the man, but she talked it down.

"It's none of my business what he does with himself," she muttered as she gulped down the bowl of soup waved in her direction.

"Where were you?" Kevin asked quietly as she ruffled his hair in greeting. "Josh was asking for you."

"Josh?" She quirked an eyebrow. Little Javi nodded, absentmindedly fiddling with the hair of the woman sat next to him.

"Wanted to know if he's going to get any one-on-one," he smirked.

"One-on – what?" Beckett spluttered, eyes wide.

"Like Castle, he wanted to know," Javi continued with a grin.

"Like – _what?_" Beckett put down her spoon and stared at them.

"Training, boss," Kevin laughed, nudging her playfully. "Mind out of the gutter, woman."

"Training. Right." She got up, ignoring their snickers while she scanned the camp. "Take Josh, again, would you? I've got something I need to show Castle."

"Ooh, something you need to show – ouch!" Her little brother eyed her reproachfully, rubbing the back of his head where she had clouted him.

"Mind out of the gutter," she retorted, poking her tongue out at him as she stalked off. "Castle!" The subject of their conversation spun around, hastily wiping a smear of lipstick off his cheek. "Grab your gear, we're going." He nodded swiftly, twisting back round to wrap an arm around Meredith's waist pulling her flush against him.

"I'll see you later," he whispered in her ear. Beckett was close enough to see the delighted shiver she gave as his breath hit the back of her neck. The brunette looked away, feeling irrational jealousy bubble in the pit of her stomach.

"Have fun, Kitten!" The redheaded woman simpered, trailing her fingertips gently down his toned, muscular arm and twirling away, swinging her hips a little more than necessary as she walked off.

_Two could play at that game_, Beckett decided. As Castle turned to follow her, she deliberately reached up to slowly brush a lock of hair off her forehead, well aware that it presented whoever was looking with a stunning profile that even she was proud of.

"Come on, _Kitten_," she chirped, smiling widely at his embarrassed expression.

"Shut up, Beckett," he mumbled, poking her arm in jest. She let out a bark of laughter.

"Not if you give me something like that, Castle." She tore off down yet another path, leaving him to race after her. As always, the rapid movement through the morning dew woke her up and freshened her muscles for the long day ahead.

"What are we doing today, boss?" Richard said, jiggling from foot to foot with anticipation. She shrugged off her quiver nonchalantly, checking her knife was still in its sheath at her side before turning to him and placing a hand on her hip.

"Wrestling." Her lip twitched at his astounded gape. "Relax, Castle, I'll go gently."

"That's not what I'm afraid of," she heard him mutter as he mimicked her previous actions, adding his top tunic to the pile. She swallowed. She had an almost-perfect view of his sculpted torso, hidden by just a thin layer of cloth. She wouldn't last a second.

Beckett shook it off, attempting to clear her head of the treacherous thoughts running through her mind before squaring up to him and making eye contact.

"You know how to throw a punch, I assume?" He gritted his teeth but nodded. Her eyes strayed to the pulsing vein at the base of his jaw, but snapped back to focus on his unwavering gaze. "What's the matter, Rick?" She used the nickname for the first time, noting with a jolt of pleasure the warmth that seeped from his blue orbs at the gesture. "Afraid of a woman?"

"Not at all," he responded with a teasing, yet hesitant smile. "My mother taught me to never hit a lady." Her reply was to launch a furious barrage of blows that were met with equal ferocity by her opponent, before they darted away from each other for a moment's breath.

"Still too much of a lady for you, Castle?" Beckett panted. He sent a comical grimace at her and stepped forward to re-engage. This time, they ended with him bent double, arms twisted above his head as he struggled to escape.

"I'm not sure you're a lady, Beckett," he attempted to shrug when she released him, but winced. "You're too unruly." She let out a mock gasp and pressed her finger against his – slightly damp – chest.

"Mr Castle, how rude," she purred, dragging her finger up to his jaw and flicking it lightly. "I can assure you that I am more lady than you could ever handle."

She had done it. She had rendered the chatterbox mute. She forgot for a moment who she was, where she was, and just who it was with her as she abruptly withdrew the contact she had with his heaving body and watched as he gulped hard, taking a step back and cracking a twig.

In an instant the Katherine Beckett of the Merry Men was back, swinging a powerful fist at her newest recruit to let him know that the fight was back on.

"Cat got your tongue, Kitten?" Beckett quipped, casually blocking a punch from her companion as he recovered from the moment.

"Don't-" Castle gave a grunt as he lunged towards her, hooking a foot beneath her knee and flipping her face down in the undergrowth. "Call-" He landed on top of her, knocking the wind out of both of them. "Me-" He pinned her knees together with his and bent his head to growl in her ear. "Kitten."

As she recovered from the surprisingly vicious attack, Beckett became aware of his proximity. Every contour of her body seemed to fit perfectly with his, her hips deliciously nestled in the bear-like paws keeping her on the ground, his chin encasing her shoulder against the heather. The pounding of his heart sent shivers down her spine and she felt its _thump-thump_ reflected in her own beat as she breathed in the scent of something really quite feminine – and suddenly felt sick. She could smell Meredith on him; a ghastly, taunting reminder that whatever these feelings she had for this man were, he was not hers.

"Sorry," he said quietly as he rolled off her to lie on his side and watch her scramble up. "Just – only she calls me that, and I only put up with it-"

"For the sex," Beckett supplied unemotionally, straightening her shirt and shaking the leaves from her hair. Richard tensed, staring at her icily.

"Don't tell me your thing with Josh is anything more?" he accused. Her eyes narrowed to match his intense glare.

"Josh? What has he got to do with this?" she responded slowly. They had stepped closer to each other so they were almost touching, but the tension radiating off each of their taut bodies made the air around them crackle with unexploded rage.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed him making gooey-eyes at you," the man hissed. Beckett felt something inside her snap.

"Josh does not make 'gooey-eyes' at me. There is nothing going on between us, but if there was, it would be none of your business."

"You say there's nothing now," Castle retaliated sharply. His disheveled appearance gave him an almost sinister silhouette on the trees. "But I'm willing to bet anything you like that you want there to be."

"So what if I did?" Her yell split the tense silence. "So what if I wanted him? It would be a darn sight better than having you! And you know why? Because Josh is honorable, Josh is kind and sweet, and Josh _cares about his fellow men_. All I have seen you do since you pranced up here, to _my_ territory, to _my_ people – _my family_ – is treat me like I am some common wench for you to pick up off the streets and charm. Josh has shown nothing but respect for his betters, those who have experience and those who can share their experiences with him, to make him a better man than you'll ever be. But you know what else Josh Davidson has that you don't? He has morals. He clearly doesn't want a 'quickie' with the bladesmith's daughter like you do. He is a real man."

Castle stood there impassively, watching her rant. How she longed to punch that unconcerned _I'll take what you throw at me_ look off that handsome face. How she longed to make him suffer as she showed him what being with the Merry Men was really about. But oh, how she longed to get to know the true Richard Castle, the man behind the carefully sculpted mask, the man who could make her laugh with abandon, the man who was so obviously right for her.


	9. Josh

I apologize, minutes ago I updated a wrong chapter -.-

Anyway, thanks for the reviews, follows, favs, etc!

Hugs,

Alex and Vicky

P.S: for those who also follow A Beautiful Mind, I don't know when I'll be able to update - finals are coming!.

* * *

All Josh could hear was the rush of water. He was sat against a log, next to the river, watching a small family of ducks call to each other. It was calm and still, the sky cloudless and the sun's warmth comforting on his bare arms.

The morning had started off like any other. He had approached Kevin, knowing him to be closest to Kate, and had politely asked whether or not he would get an opportunity to train with their fearless leader. The smaller man had sent him a knowing smile.

"I'll ask her," Kevin had promised, clapping the older man on the shoulder. With a nod of thanks, Josh had retreated to his own corner with some of the newer bandits, glancing hopefully over his shoulder every now and then at Beckett's sleeping area.

"Hey, buddy," one of his companions had winked at him. "You in the queue?"

"Queue?" Josh had asked, distractedly moving the remnants of his soup around the clay bowl. The other man had jerked his chin in the direction of Little Javi and Kevin.

"You want Beckett, you have to get past them. Most protective brothers in the land."

"I don't '_want Beckett'_!" Josh had protested wildly, fighting a blush.

"Please," another man had snorted. "Everyone wants Beckett. She is one fine specimen." Josh hadn't replied, instead peeking quickly again. The brunette had returned and was talking with her two closest friends. She was beautiful, Josh had found himself thinking. His heart had leapt as she left the two men and appeared to move in his direction.

"Castle!" And his heart had dropped again. Of course. Castle. Who would want _him_ next to Richard Castle, soldier extraordinaire?

So he spent the day with Kevin and Javi. More sword skills. He was getting tired of being deferred to the 'second team'. Sure, they were good, but he wanted to learn from the master – or mistress, in her case. After having learnt yet another combination of moves, the small group had been interrupted by a young Outlaw delivering a breathless message. Secretly, Josh was relieved. His two mentors had had to dart off to see to the emergency, leaving him free to explore the forest: something he hadn't yet had the chance to do.

Which was how he had ended up by the trickling stream of clear blue water.

Several hours later, Josh stirred.

.

There they were. Beckett and Castle, sparring under a canopy of sunlit leaves. Josh couldn't take his eyes off her. The Lincoln green robes clung to her curves as she twirled around her opponent, the rays of light reflecting off her hair and reminding him of an Amazonian woman. Beauty, in its purest form.

Castle was on top of her now. Josh felt a pang of resentment – that prick was involved with Meredith: he couldn't have both of them! The sound of his name caught his attention.

"Don't tell me your thing with Josh is anything more?" Josh leaned forward to see Castle glaring intensely at Beckett.

"Josh? What has he got to do with this?" The hum of the wind made it hard for the eavesdropper to hear her words. He could almost sense the confusion in Beckett's words and a surge of anger towards the other man threatened to break out of him.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed him making gooey-eyes at you," the man hissed. Josh let out a quiet, dry chuckle. As his friend had pointed out during their morning meal, all of them made 'gooey-eyes' at Beckett.

"Josh does not make 'gooey-eyes' at me. There is nothing going on between us, but if there was, it would be none of your business."

"You say there's nothing now." Castle's almost menacing growl accompanied with his disheveled clothes gave him an eerie air. "But I'm willing to bet anything you like that you want there to be." Wait – what did he say? Josh strained his ears to listen, waiting for Beckett's response with bated breath.

"So what if I did?" Her yell split the tense silence. "So what if I wanted him? It would be a darn sight better than having you! And you know why? Because Josh is honorable, Josh is kind and sweet, and Josh _cares about his fellow men_."

Josh stared, not hearing the rest of her speech. It was all he could do to keep from leaping in the air and whooping. Beckett – Katherine Beckett, leader of the Merry Men, greatest enemy of King William – had defended him in favor of Castle. Before the two figures in the clearing could see him, he turned and sprinted back to camp, beaming widely.

* * *

That night the bonfire was sizzling, sending sparks into the night air. Loud chatter and laughter bubbled around the group, waiting for Beckett to appear before they began the meal. Josh slipped in beside Kevin and gratefully took the flagon of beer. A smattering of applause made him glance up to see Beckett slip into the circle, strands of brunette hair framing her slightly red face. As she relaxed, stretching out her legs in front of her, the music started up with a jaunty folk song.

Cheers scattered the ash as pairs of Outlaws rose from the fireside, forming a ring around the fire and beginning to dance. As the volume increased tenfold, Josh leant close to the woman next to him.

"Beckett? May I have this dance?" Her eyes opened slightly in surprise, but she nodded, setting down her own goblet and swinging her legs over the log to stand up. Kevin, still sitting, narrowed his gaze at the pair and opened his mouth as if to say something, closing it when Beckett sent him a pointed look.

"I'll be fine, little brother," she said softly. She took a firm hold of Josh's outstretched arm and led him to a gap in the spinning circle. Within moments she was pressed up against his stocky body, head mere inches away from his chest. He wasn't bad looking, she thought. Nothing on Castle – but then, who could compare to the ruggedly handsome soldier?

"Sorry, what did you say?" Beckett asked as she realized her dance partner was waiting for a reply to something.

Josh cleared his throat, blushing. "I heard you in the forest."

"You heard me in the forest," she repeated slowly, before it dawned. "Oh – you heard me? Oh."

"I think I feel the same way," he whispered, bringing up a hand to stroke her cheek. The music was slower now, and they were simply swaying on the spot. "I-" he started, then licked his lips nervously. "I want you, if you'll have me?" It was murmured, but no phrase had ever sounded louder to the leader of the Outlaws.

It was Beckett's turn to pause. Had she meant what she said to Castle? Or had she just come up with an excuse to protect her heart from chasing after the man she couldn't have? She could see Castle and Meredith's silhouettes dancing and laughing out of the corner of her eye, and in a fleeting moment that she was sure she would come to regret later on, Kate lifted her chin to meet the gaze of the man in front of her.

"I think I'd like that very much." His tiny gasp of amazement was lost as she brought her lips to his in a gentle embrace. The sound of something smashing echoed in the back of her mind and she closed her eyes and lost herself in probably the most public display of affection she had ever shown.

If he could make her jealous, she was allowed to do the same. Right?


	10. Surprise!

Here comes A bomb.  
I need to add, that even if reader commented about this couple of chapters ago. Alex and I wrote this chapter a looong time ago.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy it :D

Vicky and Alex.

* * *

Meredith woke up before the sun rose, feeling queasy. She took a deep breath to control the nausea, but it didn't help. It was probably a common cold, knowing her luck. With care she moved Richard's arm, which was hooked round her waist, and stood up from the bed.

The redhead looked through the window. The flames on the bonfire were still live, small but alive. That meant that it was not morning yet. She placed her hands on her stomach as it growled. She was hungry, but felt sick. Sometimes Meredith didn't understand her body. She'd go to Lanie tomorrow to get some herbs to sort it.

She tried to go back to bed but the nausea started to become more intense. She felt miserable. With her hands on her stomach and barely maintaining her equilibrium, Meredith reached Lanie's tent.

The healer was awake. Meredith could hear voices from inside the house.

The disorientated woman entered the house silently. Inside there were two women, one dark skinned and the other one with beautiful brown wavy hair. Perfect, just want she needed. Lanie was talking to Kate Beckett.

Lanie and Kate looked at her with confusion.

"I'm not feeling well," the newcomer stated before vomiting on the floor.

The women quickly jumped up and rushed towards the sick outlaw. She was paler than normal and her usually spotless clothes where dirty with the contents of her stomach. Ignoring the stench, the healer put a hand on Meredith's forehead to feel if her body was warmer than usual, which it wasn't. That meant that whatever the young woman had, it was not life threatening. With the help of Lanie and Kate, Meredith tottered towards a chair, collapsing on it gratefully.

"Tell me what's wrong," Lanie prompted. Meredith's eyes travelled from the dark skinned woman to Kate Beckett. She did not want to talk about her medical problems in front of Beckett. Kate stared back at her, making the other woman feel uncomfortable.

"I've been feeling sick," Meredith started. "It's been going on for some days now, especially during mornings."

"When was the last time you bled?" Lanie asked while she grabbed one of Meredith's breasts. It must have hurt because the woman winced and instinctively shifted backwards. "You've been sleeping with Castle, right?" the healer added when the redhead didn't reply.

It had been three full moons since the last time she had bled. During that time she and Castle had made love more than a couple of times. Could it be that she was pregnant? Just the thought of it made her feel worse. She couldn't be a mother - she was definitely not ready for a child, to give up her freedom for some other dependent being. And Richard, he was not ready either. He was probably going to leave her. Not that she blamed him, she would do the same if he was the one carrying the baby.

"You are not sick, Meredith," Lanie said with a smile. "You are pregnant."

Not even God knew who those words shocked the most, Kate or Meredith. They both looked at Lanie with their eyes wide. Kate's were filled with regret and grief, regret of not being the one pregnant and grief because she had lost Castle forever. Meredith's eyes were full of panic.

"I want to get rid of it," the redhead snapped. Kate stared at her with disbelief but Lanie just nodded.

"That's an option, but we don't have to rush into any decision." The healer said. "Don't you want to talk to Castle about it?" Meredith shook her head. "It's a dangerous procedure. Give it a day or two and then we'll talk about what we'll do."

The other woman was not very happy with Lanie's decision - she was quite positive she didn't want the baby. Postponing the procedure would only increase the risk of someone finding out. Nevertheless, Lanie was the healer and Meredith knew better than to argue her.

"Oh, and for the sickness," Lanie told her as she stood to leave. "Try eating snacks. Apples and those sorts of things."

Meredith left Lanie's house after thanking her. Outside, the Merry Men were sparring with swords. Castle had been set against Josh, although their practice fight looked personal and more vicious than the other men's, like they would happily kill each other if Kevin and Little Javi didn't separate them once in a while.

Around them a group of girls cheered for Richard. Instinctively Meredith put her hands over the place she knew carried a new life. She was carrying his baby, but would he accept his role as her baby's father?

"I'm sure he'll be thrilled," Kate assured Meredith as they both walked towards the rooting group of girls, just in time to see Castle and Josh's fight get physical. "Stop it, you two!" Beckett shouted, but the men didn't pay any attention.

They were both on the ground, Rick above Josh, hovering over him with a mirthless grimace. A violent punch sent Josh's head snapping to the side as he was repeatedly pummeled by the older man. His legs had been pinned together by Richard's knees, and his arms were flailing uselessly as he fought to draw in a breath, winded from the blinding blow.

With a grunt of effort, Josh hooked a foot round his adversary's leg and flipped them, sitting back on Castle's thighs and throwing a jab of his own. Richard's nose exploded in a burst of blood, the yell of pain and anger chilling the spectators as he shook his arms free and lunged at Josh's throat. He missed, instead hitting Josh's head with a force that reverberated through his jaw and exited through a spray of blood from his mouth.

The smaller man let out a howl and clawed at his opponent's face, grappling for his eyes and getting a hefty whack in the ribs in retaliation. Josh was sent sprawling on the forest floor. His chest heaved as he recovered from the winding blow – not noticing Richard jump up and prepare to continue the onslaught.

_"_Enough." The forceful command from Beckett was enough to bring the two men back to reality. Around them the merry men had ceased their own fights and were paying close attention to the battle between the newbies.

Castle's nose was bleeding and one of Josh's teeth was missing. Both had scratches all over their faces and arms and Meredith was certain that many bruises would appear with time. Even if the brawl had been stopped and the two men were no longer hitting each other, they were glowering murderously at each other.

"Show is over. Back to your activities," Beckett commanded as she stalked towards Josh and Rick, Meredith following her closely. She stopped in front of them, arms crossed.

Despite the obvious height difference, both men flinched as she sent them an icy glare.

Meredith had never seen her so angry. There was no a sound except that of Beckett's voice. Even if the merry men had returned to their activities they were working so quietly that went unnoticed. Not even the wind between the trees or the sound of the early birds could be heard.

"I will not tolerate this behavior in my camp," the leader of the merry men hissed. The two men lowered their gazes to stare at their feet like scolded school children. "It is childish, and certainly not becoming for anyone who wants to run with the Merry Men."

"Yes, Beckett."

"Sorry, Beckett," Richard and Josh answered simultaneously.

"You will not train for a week," Beckett said after a while. She had been considering their punishments carefully, never having had to deal with something like this before. "Neither of you will come on any steals until I have decided I can trust you to act like mature adults. Josh, you'll be on kitchen duty and Richard, you'll do weapon maintenance." Both men looked at her slightly embarrassed, but contrite. "And if I find out that you guys have tangled in a situation like this again, you'll be expelled. Immediately."

Meredith saw Castle open his mouth to say something, but thought twice. Before he could change his mind and speak his thoughts, Meredith grabbed him by the hand and led him back to his tent.

"You shouldn't have done that," she chastised, brushing some leaves out of his hair.

"He's a prick," Rick muttered angrily. Meredith stood up to get some water and a towel.

"He is, but you are not," she added softly, cleaning the blood, now dry and congealed above his lip.

Rick looked at her. No one had ever cleaned his wounds, nor treated him with such care after a fight. It was nice to have someone to rely on for things like this. She didn't say anything else, but Castle could see that something troubled her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, raising a hand to touch her cheek. "Because if it's because of my fight, I promise I won't do it again," Rick said sincerely. He couldn't be expelled from the Merry Men: his father and the sheriff would skin him alive.

"It's not that." Meredith replied. She was afraid of telling him the truth. They had had too much fun together and she didn't want it to end. She didn't want him to leave. He took her hands in his and looked at her.

"Tell me." Even if it sounded a little bit demanding, Meredith could feel the concern on his voice.

"I'm pregnant," she let out. Castle's face went blank. She prepared for the worst, but after a while his eyes brightened and a smile appeared on his face.

"Are you sure?" he asked excitedly. She nodded.

Without saying a word Castle leaned over and touched her stomach with his fingertips. His baby was inside. He was going to be a father.

"Hey, baby!" he whispered to the stomach. "I'm your daddy."

All of Meredith's doubts and fears disappeared when she saw Castle talking to her stomach and caressing it. They would have this baby together, and he wouldn't leave her. Out of all the men she had ever dated, she never pictured Richard Castle as a family man, but she couldn't have been more wrong. The baby was not even born and Rick already loved it.

"Meredith," he said with a serious look on his face. "Let's get married after the baby is born."

Married? Was she ready to settle down? With Rick? She didn't know that for sure, but what she did know was the deep admiration that sparkled in his eyes every time their gazes met and the love she had for him. So before her mind got lost in her thoughts and the panic took over, she nodded and kissed him.


	11. Lost

I like how pretty much all the comments involved Meredith cheating on Castle, you guys really like her, right? :) I am not going to give away any spoilers, you'll have to be patient and wait for the updates... - I'm evil like that.

Thanks for the feedback!  
Vicky and Alex.

* * *

"This is no place for a baby," Kate said while she poured beer into three wooden tumblers. She handled one to Lanie, another to Maddie and kept the third one, sipping it thoughtfully.

Lanie looked at her without saying a word. She knew perfectly what Kate was thinking. They were like sisters. They had been best friends for more than ten years. They had shared all types of secrets and experiences. They had stood by each other when it felt like the world was ending for one or other or both of them. Kate had taught her English and she had taught Kate some basic healing. The two women trusted each other with their lives. Kate was a fool if she thought she could hide a feeling like this from her.

"I know what you are thinking," Kate pointed out, reading Lanie's mind. "You think I'm jealous of her."

"Of course you are." Maddie said as though it should be obvious. "You are hot for Castle." Maddie and Kate had been best friends during their early childhood. She had recently moved to the Merry Men camp after marrying Ethan Slaughter, one of Kate's finest men, and automatically made it into their clique.

"I am not." Beckett replied in disbelief. One thing she regretted about having introduced the two women to each other was the fact that they were very like-minded when they came to Kate. More often than not, a discussion would turn into a contest between Lanie and Maddie, and Kate – who was constantly put out by their attempts to convince her they knew best.

"You want to make little Castle babies," her blonde friend continued teasing her, Lanie nodding in agreement. What a surprise, Kate thought almost fondly.

"I do not," she denied, irritation seeping into her tone. Sometimes she didn't know why she was friends with those two. "I have Josh."

"Right," Lanie retorted sarcastically. "You might have Josh but you get _that look_ in your eyes when you're with Castle, not Josh."

Kate ignored her friends. They obviously didn't know what they were talking about. She was happy with Josh, or at least that was what she told herself every morning when he pecked her cheek in greeting. Either way, nothing else could be done. Meredith was with child and Katherine Beckett was not a house wrecker. A kid needed both parents, so that was the end to this pointless discussion.

"I'm going for a run," Beckett muttered automatically.

"I'm starting to think that you believe you can run away from your problems," Lanie stated. Maybe she was right about that, but it seemed like the only way Kate could keep herself together.

"I don't have a problem here," the brunette called over her shoulder as she started walking towards the door.

"Oh, you do," Maddie responded loudly. "Its name is _Meredith_."

"Just because you can't see it doesn't mean we can't!" Lanie added matching the blonde's tone.

"Shuuut uuup!" Kate sang and closed the door behind her.

Those girls. How she loved them but how she wanted to strangle them at the same time. Kate left her bow and arrows laying in front of her tent and started running. Some people found comfort with food, some with alcohol and some, like Kate, with running.

It had rained the whole morning and the soil was wet. Kate loved running on mud; it was unexpected, like life. Running on mud required attention on the road, your feet had to be placed carefully: one bad step would end with a tumble.

The refreshing smell of nature filled her lungs and calmed her raging emotions. It was just her and the woods; no Castle, no Josh, no Meredith. Just her. She loved the sensation of running on the viscous floor, the sound her feet made every time they reached or leaved the ground was music to her ears - it was definitely one of her favorite sounds.

Kate stopped at a small creek, not because she was tired but because the man who couldn't leave her thoughts was there, his gaze lost in the horizon.

"I hear congratulations are in order." Kate said approaching him. Rick turned to face her. He looked worried. "It'll be ok, Rick."

"I'm not ready for this," he admitted. Panic filled his voice.

"No one is ever prepared for parenthood," Kate tried to comfort him. Even if he was not hers, she cared too much for him. "On the bright side, you can't be worse than your father," she added gently, remembering that Castle was the last name of all the fatherless children in the realm.

"What if I turn out to be just like him?" Castle asked, wringing his hands nervously.

"I doubt it, Rick." She rested her hand on his shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze.

He looked at her, and even with that worried expression on his face he looked handsome. Kate could feel a force, stronger than the force that glued her to the floor, dragging her closer to Castle. She blinked when their faces were a few centimeters apart. Castle was looking at her, those big blue eyes haunted with fear seemed to look through her eyes and right into her soul. She stared at the lake, trying to ignore the want that rose up in her.

"This is no place for a child," Kate murmured quietly, taking her hand away from his shoulder and walking towards the water.

"I agree." He took a pace forward to stand next to her. "That's why we are leaving after the baby is born."

That news hit her hard. Like a punch to the gut or a stab in the heart. She fought against the tears that were accumulating on her eyes. She felt empty, as though someone had taken her soul away and replaced it with stones.

"Good." she replied after a while.

At least she wouldn't have to face the baby every day, see how he or she grows, see how they made a happy family. It would be a constant reminder of what could have been. A constant reminder that she didn't get what she wanted.

"See you later, Richard," she said using his complete name for the first time in weeks. It came out with a disdainful tone that ate a little piece of Kate's heart and spat it out with no regard for the owner's wellbeing.

Castle noticed. He stood silently as he watched her disappear into the woods. She had almost kissed him. Why hadn't he closed the space between them? The distance had been tiny, yet to make that move would have moved them on miles. He wanted to kiss her, more than anything in the world. He wanted to taste her lips more than any other woman's. He – he wanted to be hers. Richard berated himself sharply. Why did he feel that way about Kate? He should be having those feelings towards Meredith, the mother of his child, and no one else.

Rick kneeled in front of the water and splashed some on his face to freshen up. He drank some, but it didn't seem to wash away the bitter taste left in his mouth. The spy looked at his reflection in the water, and with his fist he hit it, water splattering everywhere. The bitter taste came from his feelings, from having lost the Queen of Thieves for ever.


	12. Festival

Nope, Castle and Meredith haven't break up yet.  
No other announces to make.

Remember to like, comment and subscribe! - Yeah, clearly I'm watching too much youtube videos :P

Hugs!

Alex and Vicky

* * *

To Reeny, who texted me on wednesday at 6am saying: '_It's already friday in Australia_', you almost got me...

* * *

The annual spring festival was taking place in the town. Festivals meant a lot of rich people visiting the King, rich people who left their carriages unattended in the King's stables. Festivals also meant prizes, money that had belonged to the peasants, money that if the Merry Men didn't win would end up in King Bracken or other lord's pockets.

Beckett assembled a team of ten men. They would leave the camp in two groups of five at dawn and would compete and win the gold in the festival's activities. The first team was led by Beckett, who was dressed as a man. She travelled with Josh, Little Javi, Will Scarlet-Sorenson and Tom Demming. Castle rode with the second team with Ethan Slaughter, Mark Fallon and another man he had never met before, captained by Kevin.

It was the first time Castle had ridden since arriving at the camp_. _He couldn't decide if it was because she trusted him or because she didn't want to share a horse with him, so Castle couldn't decide whether to be happy or sad.

Beckett's team parted to town first. The spy watched them leave with an uncomfortable sensation in his stomach. He hadn't talked to Kate since the time he told her he was leaving. Ever since then she had been too preoccupied to talk to or train with him. He missed her.

Sometime after the first team left Kevin gave the order to start moving. Castle paid attention to the details on the road, aware that eventually this dream he was living would end and he would have to tell the sheriff where the Merry Men resided. Just to think about disclosing the location to the sheriff made him feel like he was betraying his family.

Castle shook his head angrily. His family? This was not his family. He had no family. After his mother died he was left alone. He joined the Sheriff's guard in order to survive that year's cold winter. Then he found out about his father, who only acknowledged him after Richard's skills were something to be proud of. The Sheriff's men were never his family, but they were his team. Not the Merry Men, but the sheriff's. He was loyal to Sheriff Hal Lockwood, not to Katherine Beckett.

Then why did it feel so wrong?

He stopped his thoughts before they could run away. He had chosen Meredith and Kate had chosen Josh. Any and all feelings he had for the Queen of Thieves needed to be shut down. He needed to worry about Meredith and his future child: they were the only thing that mattered right now.

They reached the town in less time than Richard expected. He had been lost in his thoughts for longer than he should have. Or maybe the camp was closer to town than he thought. Whatever the reason, he was angry at himself and disappointed at his tracking skills.

The town's entrance was circled by villagers selling things. Pots, vegetables and animals. They didn't seem happy. Misery could be seen in their faces. Some of them were selling objects that were dear to them, just to pay the taxes and escape the fate of the outlaws.

Castle spotted some old lady bargaining with one of the King's soldiers. The soldier wanted to buy a table for a piece of bronze. He was stealing from the poor woman, Castle realized with disgust.

The soldier didn't pay attention to the peasant's complaints, instead he tossed the coin towards her and took the table. Who would stop him, if the Merry Men didn't, or at least Castle? He broke formation and, ignoring Kevin's orders, he rode towards the man who was putting the table on his horse.

"I think the old woman was asking for twice what you gave her," he said, catching the soldier's attention.

"I think this is none of your business," the soldier replied, tying the table so it wouldn't fall off.

"I think it is." Castle drew his sword and touched the point to the soldier's neck. "Give her the money."

One thing that Castle had learned from his years of training with the Sheriff's men was that there was no such thing as bravery among the King's soldiers. They were cowards just like their leader. The Sheriff's men might not be honest, but at least they were brave. Just as predicted, the soldier opened his bag and threw some bronze pieces to the old woman.

"This is not over, peasant," the soldier spat as he climbed to his horse with a glower of pure loathing. "I'll be back with my men."

Castle grinned at the threat. Rumor had it that the good fighters joined the Sheriff and the weak joined the King. Or at least they were trained to think like that. But the King's soldiers didn't scare Richard Castle or any other of the Sheriff's men.

"Thank you, sir." The voice of an old lady caught his attention. "I'll always be in debt to you." He turned to her and smiled.

"Nonsense," Richard said. "It was the right thing to do."

Was this the right thing to do? It sure felt right. But it was against everything he had learned and done over the years under the sheriff's commands. He rode back to where he had left the group. His team had left except Kevin, who looked at him grimly with a hint of respect. Kate had joined her brother, and gazed at the spy proudly. For a moment Richard thought his heart would explode with happiness. Then her sight went dull, and the moment was lost.

"Next time Kevin gives you an order, make sure you follow it," she said dryly. "Now, the King's men will be looking for you. It'll be better if you keep distance from the group until we are done."

Well, that could work. Castle could use that time to talk to his father.

"Thank God you didn't pick a fight against one of the Sheriff's men," Kevin said in a low tone. "You would be dead by now."

Castle knew better than to mess with the Sheriff's men, but he was touched by the man's concern, and gave a smile in acknowledgement to the warning.

They entered the walls of the city with no further delay. The men at the entrance wore the Sheriff's uniform. His uniform. Rick nodded at a familiar face, trusting his colleague to notify his father about his presence.

Once inside the city they parted on different paths. Kate and Kevin rode to the main square, where the shooting competition was taking place. Castle rode to The Old Haunt, a pub his father owned.

The Old Haunt was a disreputable bar situated at the periphery of the city, build as part of the wall that surrounded it. The place used to be a normal pub, but after his father had bought it, it had become a seedy place were men went to find female companions for the night.

Rick entered the establishment and walked towards the bar. With just the raise of a finger he got a beer for free. Perks of being the bastard son of the owner. The place was filled with the same customers - he could recognize some familiar faces sitting with some of the sleazy women that worked in the pub. Even if it all looked the same, it felt different. It was like his time with the Merry Men had changed him, turned him into another person. He laughed at that thought.

"Hello, Richard." Castle turned slowly at the familiar voice, the hairs on his arms standing up at the sound of his name.


	13. The Hunt

Wat up?

Alex is leaving soon for camp and I'll be all alone, so show me some love and review :D

As always, hope you enjoy

Vicky and Alex

* * *

"Hello, Richard." Castle turned slowly at the familiar voice, the hairs on his arms standing up at the sound of his name.

Two men were standing behind him: Sheriff Lockwood and his father, known by everyone as The Hunt. He had gained the nickname due to his tendency to pursue and kill his prey like an animal. No one, not even Castle or the Sheriff knew his real name.

"Father," Richard replied dryly. "Sheriff Lockwood." Both men nodded curtly at him.

"It's been a while," his father said when they were in his private room. "The Sheriff and I started to worry about your loyalty."

He, the man who had abandoned his mother, the man who had only recognized him when he was good enough, talking about loyalty? Castle said nothing in reply to his father's statement. He didn't want to get into a fight, particularly in front of Lockwood.

"Some days after you left, some men came asking about you and your story." Lockwood said. "You were lucky there are a lot of 'Castles' among the peasants," he added.

Castle didn't think that being a bastard was lucky; being rejected by one of your parents was one of the worst feelings a child could experience. He'd never make any kid of his suffer what he had suffered. He kept quiet. The environment of his father's room made him feel uncomfortable and he wanted to get out of it as fast as he could.

Besides, his mind was too busy processing the information Sheriff Lockwood had just told him. Kate had sent men to check up on his story. That meant she didn't trust him or that she trusted someone who didn't trust him. Rick knew the only one of the Merry Men who didn't trust him: Josh Davidson. He had to get rid of Josh.

"So," his father's voice brought him back to the filthy room. "What have you learned about the Merry Men so far?"

"They still blindfold me when we ride out of the camp," the spy lied. "We are not close to any noticeable mountains, known rivers or any landmark through which I could identify the location."

"And you say you are a spy?" The Hunt yelled in frustration. "You should be ashamed - _I_ am ashamed."

"Wouldn't be the first time, would it?" Castle retorted angrily. The tension between father and son was starting to get uncomfortable for the other man in the room.

"What about Beckett?" the sheriff asked him, trying to get control over the situation and break the tautness.

"She's the most graceful warrior I've seen, she could take down five of her finest men by herself," Castle started. "She's also a great leader, when she..."

"We didn't send you to develop a crush on her," The Hunt interrupted. "What are her tactics, her plans?"

"They don't share that much with me," Castle spat, annoyed. "Yet."

"Did she come to town with you and the other merry men?" The sheriff asked.

From what the Sheriff had told him about the murder of Kate's mother, he knew that Lockwood had got a glimpse of her face. But that had been when Beckett was in her teen years, and her face had probably changed a bit now that she was a grown woman. Besides, the only survivor from that encounter had been the sheriff and he was not patrolling the streets looking for Kate.

"Well?" his father prompted. It was clear he wanted, and expected, an answer.

"No," Rick lied again. "We're just couple of men and few youngsters." He didn't know why he lied. Maybe he wanted to protect Kate, Meredith and his unborn child, maybe he enjoyed being with the Merry Men and was not ready to give that up, or maybe he liked keeping information from his father – all three worked for him.

Hal Lockwood had waited long to get a grip of Katherine Beckett, he could wait until the fall festival to finally catch her and sent her to jail for all her crimes against the Crown.

By that time Castle's baby would be born already and he and his family would be off to some neighboring town to live in peace. That was if Meredith forgave him. Rick liked Meredith, but he did not love her and he would definitely not make her do something against her will, if she did not forgive him, he would raise the baby by his own and Meredith would suffer the outlaws' fate: rotting in the dungeons.

"Very well." It seemed as if he had convinced the Sheriff, at least for now. "You may go."

"I'll keep you informed," Castle said standing up. "By the way, Hunt, you'll be a grandfather soon."

"Don't get too attached to the Merry Men." His father warned him. Castle didn't know what he expected: of course his father wouldn't congratulate him. "You have to have you mind set on our goal which is..."

"Destroy the Merry Men," Richard interrupted him. "I haven't forgotten."

"I just wanted to make sure," he heard his father say as he opened the door.

Two women entered as he was leaving. One sat on the sheriff's lap and one on his father's. Richard was disgusted by his father and his habits. Sometimes he wondered how many bastard half-siblings he had.

He walked towards the exit, avoiding the women who attempted to woo him. Before his time with the Merry Men these women had been the only people who had loved him, or at least pretended to for the right price. But during his time being an Outlaw he had realized that there were some people who actually liked him for him. People who he would eventually betray.

Maybe his time with the Merry Men really _had_ changed him, maybe a miracle had happened and he was genuinely turning into a better person. He couldn't be sure of that. What he was sure of was that the woman who made him a better person was not the one that lay by his side every night carrying his child; it was the Merry Men's fearless leader, the woman who had hypnotized his heart since the first time they had met, the woman who was a mystery that he'd never solve.

But she was not his woman, never was and never would be. She was Josh's, the same man who had convinced Beckett to send men to check his story. Josh was a problem that needed to be solved.

"That's him!" Richard heard someone scream. "That's the bastard who embarrassed me in front of the town."

Castle looked around. He was surrounded by the same soldier he had encountered before and more of the King's soldier and there was no way to escape. As they started to get closer to him, he drew his sword in preparation to fight when he heard the gallop of a horse.

"Castle!" He turned to see Beckett riding at full speed towards him. Without stopping the horse she extended her arm, which Castle grabbed. With a grunt she swung him up behind her. He held tightly to her waist as they sped off, away from the furious soldiers.

"Damn you, Merry Men!" one of the soldiers screamed as he waved his fist at them. "The King will hear about this! Your days are numbered!"

Castle and Beckett galloped away as they heard the soldier's hateful words. It was not the first time the merry men had pissed the King's men, but little did they know that the soldiers words would become actions and that soon changes would come, changes that would alter everything.


	14. Game Over

I'm so so so sorry I didn't update on friday! I totally forgot!

Ok, so this chapter is a short one, but some things need to be done :P - Yeah, Alex got frustrated and did this, so you can all love her.

Anyway, enjoy!

Vicky and Alex

* * *

No sound was heard through the castle's hallways. The people knew about the events that had taken place during the festival, and they knew that the King was not happy about it. Luckily for everyone, if you kept your head down and didn't cross the King's path you could avoid a painful situation. Everyone, that is, expect the Sheriff.

"This is the final straw! I will not have that imbecilic, irrational woman storming into _my_ city and threatening _my_ people!"

"We can't stop her, sire." Sheriff Lockwood winced as King William swept the papers off his desk angrily and spun to point an accusing finger at his deputy.

"No. _You_ can't stop her," he hissed. "Your men are supposed to be the elite of this kingdom, yet they are nowhere to be seen when those outlawed nitwits threaten my own guard – the guard that has more important things to do than retaliate to threats from breathing twigs who have the nerve to attack one of my sergeants!"

Lockwood stood still, helmet held at his side.

"Sire-"

The sole candle flame that was the only source of light in the poorly lit room flickered, making the King's irked face even fiercer. William Bracken was not a merciful man, and even the bravest men in the kingdom would be terrified if they were in Lockwood's place.

"You have a man on the inside who could tell you nothing. What does that say about my elite soldiers, Sheriff?" William's voice dropped to a low growl as he caressed the sword at his side. "Does that fit the honor of a spy? Does that show a man who is willing to risk his life for his king? Does it? Answer me!"

Lockwood swallowed and kept his gaze fixed on the far wall. "No, sire."

"No, it doesn't, Sheriff. Tell me: do you think you are worthy of this post?" With an almost nonchalant flourish, the king unsheathed his sword and inspected the gleaming surface with a curled fingertip.

"I – I – yes," the taller man stuttered. "Yes, I am. You have known me for years, sire, and I have never once let you down-"

"_You have let me down now!"_ The pacing monarch was no longer passive, brandishing his weapon so that the tip released a small bead of crimson at his deputy's neck. "The only enemy I cannot kill is Katherine Beckett, and you have had more than enough opportunities to eliminate her! One man, Lockwood, one man. That's all it takes. And you have failed me!"

"Sire!" Lockwood protested. "Richard Castle is one of my best – he's getting close to Beckett, and he has successfully been inducted into the Merry Men-"

"But he has not brought her to me!" William roared.

Lockwood gulped and looked from the King's weapon to his flashing eyes.

"He is biding his time-"

"He is doing nothing!"

"Sire, I assure you-" The Sheriff broke off as the sword pressed further into his throat.

"No. No – you have had your chance. I should never have trusted you with something this important."

"Please." The whispered word dissipated into the air like a puff of steam.

The king walked away from the moribund person and rang a bell to call his butler, who came into the room immediately, as expected.

"James, please tell Coonan that he is the new sheriff," Bracken said ignoring the dying man's moans. "And that I have an announcement to make."

James nodded without questions and bowed before exiting the room. The monarch walked towards his late deputy and knelt next to him, a sinister smile appearing on his face.

"I'll be sure to remember your loyal service, Sheriff."

And as the light died in Hal Lockwood's eyes, so did the hope in the hearts of Bracken's people.


	15. Manhunt

Hey guys! Sorry I've been disappeared on you - once again. It's just hard to publish from my phone - that, and I also forget :/

Anyway! hope you guys enjoy this chapter, every time we are closer and closer to the epic part :D

Hugs,

Vicky - And Alex, who's probably having the time of her life.

* * *

"Beckett, we have a problem." The leader of the Merry Men looked up to see Kevin and Javi still on their horses, watching her as she put down her knife and stood up.

_"_Go," she ordered as she began walking briskly between the pair.

"Bracken's issued a reward for any information on us, as well as our capture. Taxes have gone up, and instead of exiling those who can't pay, they're imprisoning them. The death rate has already risen considerably."

"Damn," Beckett was the last thing they needed. With the drastic fall in temperature over the last week, several of her men had fallen ill, leaving a handful of experienced soldiers partnered with the newer recruits. They had even had to start training the older Outlaws – including the women – in case they had to deal with a threat. It seemed like the threat might be sooner than they thought.

She started running, not waiting for the thunder of hooves to catch up with her.

"First announcement was made three days ago. The village we went through the other day? Majority of the inhabitants have been taken in," Little Javi growled, spurring his horse on in frustration.

"On me!"Beckett shouted as they entered the camp causing the congregated outlaws to look up and flock towards her. Instinctively she checked her belt for her knife and felt the comforting presence of her quiver across her back as she took a deep breath and turned round to face her colleagues."King William has declared a manhunt. Against us." The tall brunette wasted no time in breaking the news that still had her in shock. "I'm taking a group of you to attack. We will bite him where it hurts – we will hit him before he hits us. I'm going to need people to stay here and defend those of you who are younger." She stopped talking as Javi stepped towards her and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Are you sure? If we wait for the attack, there will be more of us in one place. We'll have a greater chance of defeating them."

"Javi, if we wait, then who knows how many innocents will die?" It was a testament to their long friendship that the towering giantcould hear the tremor in her voice as she closed her eyes. A tear threatened to leak as she opened them again, and they were filled with anguish and the hard task of decision making. "I will not let my family die because of a poorly made decision. I have to attack first. We'll have the element of surprise, and we've been there before – we know our way around. We can get to the prisons, we can free all those people – we can _save_ them, Javi. If we wait here, who will save them? Who will be their champion?"

* * *

"Javier, bring up the rear. Take Lanie – I want a healer with us. She can ride with you."

"Kevin, I want you up front with me. Fallon, you and Slaughter stay here. Take Demming and the twins. Kev, gather the rest of the men. They will need their weapons and a horse each. Meredith-" Beckett turned to the redhead she despised.

She had grown larger over the past weeks, and it just made her loathe Meredith even more. Unfortunately, the air-headed woman was rather adept at organizing people, and had long since established herself as a sort of leader amongst the women of the Outlaws.

"Meredith, round up the women. Those capable of fighting I want picking up the remainder of the weapons once the men have finished. Fallon will organize a rotation for watch duty. Any children need to be in the centre of the camp so they can be protected. The older boys can act as reinforcements if needed."

Katherine Beckett watched her family obey her orders swiftly and surely. They had practiced this in the past, as a drill if anyone found them – not that it had ever happened. It reminded her of her father. He had always made sure she could defend herself if their castle was attacked, and there had been escape routes and contingencies in place should she and her mother ever need them.

_Her mother._

As she packed her backup dagger in her boot, Kate wondered what her mother would think of what she was doing. Would she be telling her to stay at the camp? Would she be preparing herself to follow her reckless daughter into battle?Battle against the man who ordered her death – the leader of the Outlaws let out a shaky sigh as her heart squeezed painfully.

She missed her. She missed her every day, every minute, every second, every time she woke up and every time she went to sleep. There was a gaping hole in her life and the only way to close it – just a little bit – was to bring this bastard to justice.

With her jaw clenched in resolve, Beckett mounted her steed and guided the sleek black horse to the edge of the camp. "Let's go."

* * *

"Hey. Beckett, you ok?" There was no answer. Kevin shot a sideways glance at the woman who was like his sister. "I know you want to get Lockwood. We're behind you-"

"Kevin, please," she interrupted. "I'm fine. I just want to get this over and done with." He nodded in understanding, briefly reaching out and touching her arm. The only sign of her acknowledgement was the small sigh that escaped as she gritted her teeth in determination.

They travelled for hours. At some point (but she was too preoccupied to note exactly when) Castle had exchanged places with her brother, galloping alongside her and _he wouldn't stop talking_. No matter how many times she asked, or sent subtle hints that she wanted peace and quiet, he just kept chattering and it was annoying the hell out of her.

"-and my mother was constantly telling me to be gentlemanly, and all the time there was this steady stream of men flooding through our house to 'talk' to her. There was this one guy-"

"Castle," Beckett snapped.

"-who lasted longest. He was a butcher, and we found him with a meat cleaver in his throat. Mother stopped bringing them home after that-"

"Castle!"

"-can't say I complain though. It's nice not to be wondering whether it's Bill or Ben who's coming out the bedroom-"

"Richard Castle, shut the hell up!" Her outburst was finally loud enough to make him stop talking, jaw hanging open and gaping like a fish. "Thank you." Her companion shook his head, pointing ahead with wide wonder-filled eyes.

Looming in front of them was a crumbling castle, turrets framed by the blood-red light of the setting sun, circled by distantly squawking birds as they dived and swooped in the evening air.

"It's beautiful," Castle breathed.

Silently, Beckett dismounted and took a pace forward to stand at the foot of the arch, gazing up at the age-old brick that was decorated with patches of moss, flaking off in the breeze and falling like snow. Hesitantly the Merry Men followed her over the drawbridge and into the courtyard, dismounting and forming a semi-circle behind their leader as she slowly swung round to flash them a small smile.

"Let's get some sleep, boys."


	16. Ruins

As the Merry Men approached the castle, Rick could start properly detailing the edification. It was not a big castle like King William's or the sheriff's but the family that used to live here had certainly been wealthy, maybe some Lord or knight. It was a pity it had been burned down. He had heard that sometimes the sheriff burned down castles to send a message to the Outlaws, but so far he had never seen Lockwood downing something like that. Maybe it was just a rumor.

They entered through the back door and lit a fire in what Castle supposed must have been the living room. He looked around, scanning the place. This room alone was bigger than his whole house. Rick highly doubted that a family with such a huge establishment would have fought against the King. No, what happened to this castle must have been an accident.

He wondered where the castle's occupants were now. Maybe they moved to another county while this was rebuilt. The place looked abandoned, though. No; the people who had lived here were gone for good.

Rick noticed that Kate had finished talking to Ryan and Little Javi so he decided to approach to her. She folded a map of the region and kneeled to put it insideCastle wondered what the plan was, but of course they wouldn't tell him. Ever since Kate had started dating Josh she had become distant to Rick and he hated it. Not only because it made his mission harder but because he liked talking to her.

The Queen of Thieves slowly raised her head when she saw a pair of leather boots standing next to her. Her heart skipped a beat when she found Castle's blue eyes staring back at her, full of curiosity and excitement. She stood quickly, and looked for an excuse or escape route; but there was no way out of this one. She would have to talk to Castle.

"What do you want, Castle?" Kate asked, annoyance coloring her tone.

"I was wondering if you knew what happened here, in this castle?" he asked in return. The spy noticed that her body tensed at the question. She knew this castle's story and somehow he felt that it was too close to home.

Kate, still silent, started walking away. Rick's sight switched from Kate to little Javi, who was at the other side of the room gestured to Castle to follow her.

Beckett had left the room via some kind of side door that led to a staircase. He wondered if the state of the stairs was good enough for him to climb. They were made of rocks and more importantly, hadn't crumbled with Kate's weight, although his body was heavier than hers and the last thing he wanted to do was tumble down some ancient stone building. He shook his head. He had never been a coward, so watching his step carefully the spy followed the brunette.

Much to his frustration, Kate hadn't waited for him at the top of the stairs. She was nowhere to be seen. Probably in one of the rooms, he thought as he peered through the nearest doorway.

Carefully, Castle walked to the poorly illuminated hallway opening each door he encountered, just to find an empty room. He started to believe that Kate could disappear or that he had hallucinated and followed a piece of his imagination. Just when he was about to give up and return to the makeshift campsite he heard something coming from one of the rooms at the end of the hallway.

Silently he opened the door with one hand and looked round the room. There he found Kate, sitting on the floor, her back was resting against the wall with her knees curled into her chest. This wasn't the Beckett he was used to seeing. She looked devastated even if she hadn't shed a single tear, and was holding a china doll, looking it with a look of such intense concentration that she didn't realise Castle presence until he sat next to her.

"The people of this castle are dead," she said after a while. "The knight and his Lady were killed by the Sheriff. She with arrows to her back and he burned with this castle."

"Why?" he asked in shock. Part of him didn't want to believe that his boss had done that. Even if Castle was aware of the man's reputation, he couldn't bring himself to believe such horrible things about the person who had practically raised him. She let out a sigh.

"For being good people," Kate explained wistfully. "For helping the poor, giving them food when they had given everything they had as taxes."

"Why would the sheriff care about that?" Rick asked confused, instantly regretting the question, the kind that could easily blow his cover. "I mean, he got the taxes, right?" the spy tried to amend his previous question. Thankfully, Kate had been too busy with the doll to notice the momentary panic in his eyes.

"The King and the Sheriff are selfish men," she looked at him for the first time since he had entered the room. "They will stop at nothing to get more money, so they didn't like when people started to hide in the castle's dungeons to evade paying taxes."

That was it! Burning the castle was a punishment for trying to steal from the crown. Rick knew the sheriff wouldn't burn a castle just like that. A feeling of great relief warmed him deep inside.

"When the sheriff realized that people were hiding in the dungeons he came and ordered the knight that lived here to turn them over." she continued, and he could see her eyes watering against her will. "He said that there was no one here. So the sheriff ordered his men to surround the castle and – and they burned it down." Her voice almost broke at that point, but she cleared her throat and pressed on, her voice dull and lifeless. "Fifty three men and women and forty one children died that day, the master of the house among them."

Castle stared at her in disbelief. His superior had killed almost a hundred people just for money? Richard believed in punishment, but that was too far! And children! He had killed more than forty children, young men or women who could have easily served the crown.

"Did the couple have any children?" Castle asked after a while, heart jolting in sorrow when she nodded.

"One daughter – and they adopted two boys and another girl."

"What happened to them?"

"Some say they died in that fire and still walk through the walls of this castle, lamenting the fate of their parents and honoring their memory," she said, gazing up at the ornately decorated ceiling. Castle gulped. "Some say that a priest, forever loyal to the knight managed to get them away and into the forest, where they live dressed in green and stealing from the rich to give to the poor, avenging their parents' deaths," Kate finished and looked at him with a sad smile

Then it hit him. This castle had been her family's. She had grown up here with Javi, Kevin and Lanie. Her father died here for a cause they all still believed in.

The Queen of Thieves had not always been a humble woman who lived in the forest with an odd family. She was high born, she had been a Lady once. If the events wouldn't had turned out this way, she would be part of the upper class, dressing in expensive clothing and feasting with the King. And she would still be out of his league.

The fire was almost extinct by the time Beckett and the other Merry Men were sleeping. When Castle was sure that no one was awake he stood, lit a candle and walked away from the room where the group was resting. He grabbed a piece of paper and wrote as fast as he could: '_Merry Men about to attack the castle. Orders are to not keep prisoners.' _and closed the message with his stamp and the candle's wax.

Silently he exited the camp, untied his horse and started galloping, pushing his animal to its most rapid pace. He was at least one hour away from the castle; and he had to get there and come back before anyone noticed that he was missing.

The spy ordered a guard at the entrance to take the message to the King as fast as he could. The soldier was resistant at first, suspicious of Richard's vestment, but when he saw the stamp on the message his judgmental attitude changed and with an efficient salute stated that he would deliver the message in no time.

Castle watched the guard stride off before clambering onto his horse and making his way back to where the Merry Men were, hoping that no one had noticed his absence.


	17. Treason

What up, guys?

This time I remembered to update only 1 day later :D - I'm improving.

Anyway, hope you like it! Remember to leave thoughts and comments :)

Vicky and Alex

* * *

When the sun rose the next morning, the small camp inside the castle was beginning to stir. Castle yawned and stretched, muscles stiff from his late night escapade, rolling off his temporary bed of leaves to start the hunt for some breakfast. On his way towards the pot of broth, he caught a glimpse of a shape curled against the wall, hunched over a glass vial and a pile of arrows.

"Hey." His gentle greeting was met by the tired stare of red-rimmed eyes as Beckett looked up.

"Hey." Her voice was hoarse as she gave him a tiny smile, her lips twitching the merest amount at the familiar deep voice that seeped into her bones in a comforting embrace. "Sleep well?" Castle grunted in reply, crouching down to inspect the pile of weapons in front of her.

"What's all this?" he asked, gesturing at the tiny bottle of colorless solution she was dabbing on a little dagger.

"Poison," another voice answered him. "Snake venom, actually. If you dip your arrowheads in it, or run it along a blade it means that if you miss a kill shot, your target still dies." Slowly, Rick rose to counter Josh's burning glare. "It's a drawn out, painful death. Most men wish for a swift, painless end, but this method destroys the honor and dignity of a solider. Bit by bit. Second by second. Drop by drop." Castle's jaw twitched.

"Good morning, Josh," he muttered through gritted teeth.

"Richard." The other man nodded stiffly and bent to press his lips to Beckett's cheek in a lingering kiss. "Kate," he said more warmly. Rick inwardly flinched as the woman leant in to Josh's touch, before murmuring a greeting of her own and stoppering the vial of venom.

"Josh, can you get me something to eat? I need to check I've got everything." The man in question nodded, sending another stern glare at Castle and making his way towards the queue of other hungry soldiers. Beckett sheathed her dagger carefully, making sure not to accidentally brush the shining surface that was now more lethal than it had already been, and slid each arrow back into her blood-red quiver lying next to her tunic on the dewy stone floor.

"Do you have an antidote?" Castle blurted. Beckett lifted her head to raise a quizzical eyebrow at him.

"Why would I need an antidote?"

"What if you cut yourself?" Her eyebrow lowered as she let out a chuckle.

"Really, Rick? You don't think I can handle my own knife?" The spy blushed. Of course she could – hell, she didn't even need a weapon. Her hands – and her beauty, a voice in the back of his head whispered – were dangerous enough. "Thanks for the concern." Her voice was amused now, and his skin flushed a deeper pink as he refused to make eye contact. "That's actually kinda sweet." His head jerked up.

"What?" But she was gone, braided hair waving jauntily at him as her arm curled around Josh's waist and her step regained its bounce.

* * *

"We are forty miles away from Bracken's castle. We should be there within the hour." Beckett surveyed her men from her horse, stare pinioning each to his spot as she laid out the battle plan. "When we get to the city wall, you, you and you-" she pointed out three men who nodded in acknowledgement. "-will take the horses and stay with them so we can leave quickly once the attack is over. them up so we can leave quickly once the attack is over. Javi will take those of you to my left to free the villagers. Those of you on my right will follow me to the castle. The aim is to get in, kill Bracken and whoever tries stopping us and get out. But Lockwood is mine. Any questions? " She was met with silence, and flashed a grim smile at the group. "Onwards!"

* * *

"Castle!" Beckett whispered harshly. "You know this place. Where's Bracken's room?" Rick sidled up to her, hand on his sword hilt as he pressed himself into the wall beside her.

"That one – at least it was last time I was here." He was pointing at a random window in the central tower, but she didn't need to know that. Spy he may be, but he wasn't going to deliberately betray his king. "You can access it from there," he indicated an archway that housed a heavy wooden door. "And it's three flights of stairs, second room on the right." She didn't answer, instead waving forward Kevin and another man whose name Rick couldn't remember.

One, two, three guards. In an instant, her bow was strung and there was a discreet twang as the arrows embedded in one, two, three bodies; all dead before they hit the floor. Without stopping to check, Beckett was bounding up the stairs, silent as a fox, slinking in the shadows like a tiger through the forest. As she rounded the corner, a slight movement in her peripheral vision alerted her to another person's presence and within seconds her dagger was slicing across the throat of an armored figure. And she was away, flitting through the halls on a deadly hunt.

The only sign that Beckett had struck was the gradually growing pool of crimson fed by the steady drip falling from split skin, trickling through the concrete cobbles of the corridor.

No sound. No movement. Darkness. Perfect, was Beckett's immediate thought as she nudged the door open. Her eyes automatically adjusted to the dark room. The first thing she saw was the extinguished candle lying on the ground. Fine trails of smoke rose from the wick, illuminating the lifeless lump that stared, unseeing, at the leader of the Merry Men.

"No!" The word fell from her lips in a howl of rage. "No!" It was him; it was the man – the animal, the beast, the _bastard_ – who killed her mother. Killed. In cold blood. For no reason.

Lockwood.

All she wanted was to bury her knife in his back and make him suffer; like she suffered, like her father suffered – like her mother suffered. Suffered, because of worthless scum like the corpse in front of her.

Justice.

All she wanted was justice! And the world dealt her a hand that took her power away from her. It had been her life's purpose, a necessity as vital as breathing to avenge her mother. She had helped, saved, raised innocent outlawed people and how was she repaid? The one thing she had ever asked for in return, and she had been denied it.

Taking a deep breath, Beckett stepped further into the room. Empty. The only evidence of a previous visit was the charred letter lying on the dead man's chest. Where was Bracken? Castle had said it was this one, and even though she knew he could have made a mistake, or forgotten it after several years, she was irrationally angry at the man. If she couldn't have Lockwood, she should be able to have Bracken.

But he wasn't there.

No longer caring who heard or saw her, Beckett tore through the castle throwing open each door she encountered, darting furiously up or down every staircase as her eyes hardened and her footsteps took on an ominous thud.

He wasn't _anywhere_.

As she burst through the courtyard entrance the guard who was unfortunate enough to stand in her way found himself on the floor with an arrow stabbed up through the base of his jaw. A gurgle was his last breath.

All around her lay slandered heaps of still soldiers, some clutching swords, others flopping like fish as they were prodded to check for signs of life.

Castle stopped abruptly. He recognized the man who had just died in front of him. And by the look on his face seconds before he died, he himself had been recognized too. It was the man that had taken his message to the King last night. A burning sensation appeared in his stomach - what was he doing? He was running alongside a group of outlaws that killed his own people, his family. His fist tightened when he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. It was Javier, with a look telling Castle to go on his own. Castle nodded and followed the dark skin man without saying a word; he had a mission, and he had to fulfill it. If he didn't, all these men would have died in vain.

"Kate?" Javi stopped in front of her. She raised her eyes to his. The lone tear slipping down her cheek was the only response he needed, and she was immediately in his arms, chin on his shoulder as she sobbed. "You didn't find him." The statement brought her back to reality and she dried her eyes hastily with the back of her hand. She shook her head and took a deep breath, stepping away from her oldest friend to stalk in the direction of the castle gate.

"There was a letter. Someone told him to go. Someone among us betrayed us."


	18. Young Love

Let's play a game, whoever connects correctly the character that will be introduced - I'll bold the name so you don't miss it - in this chapter with the character from the original Robin Hood legend will get a shout out :)

Alex and Vicky

P.S: don't hate Castle :(

* * *

At Beckett's nod, Kevin darted away to cover her path to the door Castle had just gestured to. Holding her gaze, he raised his bow in a silent salute as she began running. They had done this before, many times, and it was second nature to the pair of them. He followed his leader into the dark corridor and at her wave, joined her at the top of the stairs.

"I'll take this one, you take that one. See you later." They parted, and Kevin plunged into the unknown territory that was King William's castle.

Everything was deadly silent; any man, coward or hero, would be at least a little bit scared of the situation. The corridors were poorly illuminated, even though it was already sunny outside. Kevin had two Merry Men following him, every step they took moving them deeper and deeper into the hallways of the King's castle. They reached a place where they hallway divided into two. One to the left and one to the right. With a gesture he signed the men to take the left wing, they nodded and left. Kevin walked alone, far down on the right wing.

He had already given up on finding someone and was ready to return to the meeting point when he heard something. A failed attempt to run in silence. The man grabbed his bow tighter and preparing an arrow, he walked towards the room where the sound had come from.

Kevin slowly turned the brass door knob to edge inside the room, and stopped. In front of him was not Bracken, but rather a young woman with her back to him. Her bare back. The pale skin was stretched taught over defined – but not over-obvious – musculature, reflecting the sunlight beaming through the open window at the far end of the chamber, drawing his attention to the radiant beauty in front of him.

He let out a whoosh of air. Hearing it, the woman turned, a shining halo of blonde tumbling down her shoulders as she stumbled back into her dresser in shock.

"Get out!" she cried, brandishing a silver-plated hairbrush at him. Kevin chuckled, regaining his composure and swinging his bow onto his back. He took a pace forward and raised his hands when she flinched.

"I'm not here to hurt you, my lady," he soothed with a smile. Her eyebrows rocketed upwards in haughty disbelief.

"No? Then why are you entering my chambers armed and ready to fight, dressed like an outlaw and as unkempt as any of the Merry Men?" He stopped again, lowering his arms. A shadow passed over his face as he spun on the spot, about to continue his search. Realization flickered with uncertainty in her eyes as she followed his movements. "You're one of them," she whispered. "You're one of them. You're one of them!"

"So what if I am?" His voice was devoid of emotion, much like his expression, and the room suddenly felt cold. She shivered.

"I should call the guards. I should have you arrested!"

Before she could blink, Kevin was back next to her, dagger held to her throat as he glared deep into her eyes, body quivering with unreleased tension as he hissed into her ear. "You scream, my lady, and I'll kill you."

Minutes passed.

"Will you scream?" Kevin growled, tightening his grip and hoisting her up a few inches to keep her pinned against the wooden furniture. There was no answer. "_Will you scream?_" he reiterated. It was more violent than he would usually be, but he was determined to ignore the spark of excitement lit low in his belly as their bodies pressed closer together.

"I will not scream," she sighed eventually, sagging with relief when he released her. Without looking at her, Kevin sheathed the blade and made to step out of the room.

"Please – take me with you." The question was mumbled, and the blue-eyed warrior was sure he had misheard. "Take me with you," she repeated, fiddling with the hem of her shawl as he stared at her.

"Why should I take you away from this?" He gestured vaguely to the castle walls, the gilded furniture, the silk clothes – a lady's dream, surely.

"King William killed my father."

"Why should I take you with me?"

"He captured me. He wants to marry me. Please, don't make me stay-"

Kevin cast a scornful look over the room.

"Some place you've got here, my lady," he sniped. "William holding you hostage, is he? Easy to see how, what with all the trinkets you've got lined up-" A stinging slap delivered to his cheek surprised him, and he instinctively reached for his bow. "That wasn't very clever, my lady. I thought you wanted me to save you?" She gasped as he plucked a barbed arrow head from his pocket and twirled it round his fingers. "I could end your life like _that-_" he clicked his fingers and tossed the metal spike in the air, catching it deftly and returning it to his tunic. "But instead, I'm being your Knight in Shining Armor. Are you coming?"

Without waiting for a response, he was diving away, not giving her time to catch up to him, jumping down staircases and spinning round corners as he went. At the edge of the courtyard he paused. She arrived behind him a moment later, panting, face red with exhaustion, skirts hiked up to her knees to allow for more movement.

"At least," she murmured once she had recovered her breath. "At least, my Knight," (she winked at him) – "Let me know your name, before you save me from a life of hardship and boredom."

All pretense of a hardened outlaw gone, Kevin took her dainty hand in his and raised it to his lips.

"I am Kevin Ryan, my lady. No such knight exists in my family, but I am happy to serve as you wish. It would be an honor to have you travel with us." He flashed her a nervous smile. The room where they had met had not done her justice – in the fresh light of the outside air, he could see that she was young, with a youthful bounce to her step and an innocent twinkle to her glowing eyes. She was dressed in rich ruby red, satin slippers covering her elegant feet, arms slender and toned, neck delectably framed in its matching necklace as it craned curiously up at him.

"I am known as** Jennifer O'Malley**," she said softly. "And it would be my pleasure to travel with you."

* * *

"Kevin! Bro, where've you been?" Little Javi gave a shout as he saw his partner appear from the shadows of the castle. "We've been waiting for you. Kate was getting impatient – oh." The enthusiastic and familiar babbling stopped as the dark-skinned man caught sight of his friend's companion. "Who's that?" His tone was hostile, and Jennifer shrank back behind Kevin as they approached.

"_She_ was Bracken's prisoner," Kevin explained, eyeballing his brother cautiously and laying heavy emphasis on her pronoun. "Bracken killed her father and took her prisoner. I thought she could come and live with us."

"You thought what? Kev, she could be a spy, for all you know,"Javier hissed as he leant towards the other man, glaring at Jennifer when she tried to listen in. "Look: someone sent Bracken a letter, and he's not here. Lockwood's dead too. We can hardly take this woman back with us – she could alert them all to our whereabouts!"

"Boys, what's the problem?" They were interrupted by an exhausted looking Beckett. Javi threw Kevin another scowl as he turned towards his leader.

"Ryan here brought back a _friend_," he sneered. "We could have been caught because of his dawdling. He wanted to _save_ her. She could be a spy." Kevin felt blood rise in his cheeks as his sister looked him over carefully. He knew he had acted rashly – but who wouldn't, when faced with such astounding beauty?

"We'll take her with us," Beckett said eventually. "Come on. More guards will be here soon." She sent a calculating look at Jennifer, before gesturing with her head to Kevin. "She rides with you. But bind her hands and cover her eyes." When he opened his mouth to argue, to protest that you couldn't treat a lady like that, she sent him a stern look. "She's a prisoner, for now, Kevin. Don't make me leave her here."

For a moment, he didn't move. Why would no one believe him? Believe her? Couldn't they see that she had been maltreated: except - he ran a last appreciative look over Jennifer's body – she wasn't obviously hurt, it was probably more emotional than physical, but couldn't they see what he saw? Astounding, unadulterated beauty?

He led her over to his bucking steed, helping her up onto the horse's back and apologetically tying her hands together with a length of cord before swinging up in front of her and spurring the animal towards Beckett, who was waiting next to Javier.

"I'm ready, Kate." She nodded, and he turned to smile at Javi. His brother ignored it. Ferociously tugging the reins, Javier spun his own horse around and headed off towards Lanie, his mutter just reaching Kevin's ears.

"I don't ride with traitors."


	19. Suspicion

Yey! shout out to ladybugsmomma who answered correctly: Jenny is Maid Marian :) - Well, something like that.

Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't upload in two weeks, I totally forgot. Exams are driving me crazy.

Thanks to everyone that followed, read, reviewed, etc!

Hugs,

Alex and Vicky.

* * *

The tired, trotting troops were met by their comrades at the edge of the clearing. Slaughter rushed forward to take Beckett's horse from her as she slithered off, Fallon and Demming on his heels. With an exhausted nod of thanks, she shook out her hair and pulled off her boots, stumbling towards her tent. As she approached, she darted back to address her second-in-command.

"Javi, make sure our prisoner is secure. Give her water and assign a two-man watch to guard her. I don't want her left alone." Beckett was well aware of how powerful women could be, and despite the amused look her friend shot her, she was still prepared to treat Jennifer as she would any prisoner, regardless of gender. Ignoring the curious glances sent in her direction at the mention of a prisoner, Beckett continued on to her resting place, and settled down to have a well-earned rest. Their escapade had been both emotionally and physically draining, and she wanted nothing more than to curl up with a thin blanket and fond memories of her mother, and leave the work to someone else for a change.

Javier watched her retreating back with a small frown. He knew the woman inside and out, and could tell by the slight limp and hunched shoulders that she was upset by the outcome of the attack. He shook his head. As much as he loved her, she would have to wait. He had his orders. Without looking at Kevin, he dragged Jennifer from behind him and shoved her towards two Merry Men, barking a command at them and making sure they followed it, before debriefing the semicircle that had formed around him and sending everyone off to bed.

Kate was tired but she couldn't sleep. She had thought that as soon as she lay down and closed her eyes, sleep would instantly come, but they didn't. Kate's mind was too occupied with other things. First, there was a spy among them; she couldn't think of anyone who would do such a thing - all the Merry Men were family to her. Second, someone had killed Lockwood; he had been dead long before they arrived at the castle, and now she'd never get to avenge her mother's death. Third, Jennifer; the way Kevin's eyes brightened when he looked at her made her sick. Until now Kevin had never laid his eyes on any woman - he just didn't seem interested. But Kate knew there was something different going on with the high born blonde, and she was certain she was trouble.

Slowly, and without her noticing, her mind began to shut down, her thoughts leaving her alone and her muscles starting to relax. It was just her and her dreams now.

"Kate?" The soft voice shook Kate from her deep sleep. She stretched, covering her mouth as she yawned, and squinted towards the opening of her tent to see Lanie peering down at her with a fond smile. "How are you doing? Any injuries?"

"I'm fine, Lanie," Kate promised, sitting up and drawing her knees to her chest. "I just need to sleep." Her friend raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Really? That's what you always say." She held out her hand to pull the brunette up, holding her steady as she wobbled on unsteady feet. "I've looked over your boys, and bandaged them all up. Let me tend to their leader." The gentle persuasion seemed to work, and Kate trailed behind the dark-skinned woman as she was led towards the healing tent. It was late morning, and the sun beat down on the camp. Through the thin material of the tent Kate could see two silhouettes – clearly feminine. Kate's brow twitched. She recognized one of them – Maddie must have been keeping the healer company – but the other?

Pushing through the door, Beckett froze. And stared. In front of her, talking animatedly to her other best friend, and looking as though she belonged, was Jennifer. Her prisoner. The leader of the Merry Men strode towards the blonde and grabbed her shoulder, spinning her round to pin her with a deadly glare.

"Beckett!" Maddie cried, standing up to poke her in the chest. "That's no way to treat a guest!"

"She's not a guest, Maddie," Beckett growled. Her glare didn't waver. "She's my prisoner."

"She wasn't feeling well!" Maddie argued. She firmly pried Beckett's hand off Jennifer's shoulder and crossed her arms, stepping between the two women and fixing her friend with a hard stare.

"She was lying!" Beckett hissed. "She has to be watched – this was a ploy to escape!"

"Kate-" Lanie tried to intervene.

"We can't underestimate her: she could be Bracken's spy – someone told him to run before we got there. I can't have another one running around here!"

"Kate-"

"I told them to guard her! I told them to stay with her!"

"Katherine Beckett!" Lanie shouted, pinching Kate's ear between her finger and thumb and twisting it, causing her friend to yelp and bend at the knees to lessen the stinging pain. "Will you just listen to me?" She waited for an answering nod before releasing her. "Maddie's right. Jenny had a headache, and she twisted her ankle on the way down the castle stairs." Kate snorted. "I've sorted her out, but she was right to come to me. If it had been serious-"

"It wouldn't have been serious! She's not sick!"

"_Kate!_" Lanie closed her eyes in frustration, taking a deep breath and counting to ten. "Maddie, take Jenny outside. I need to have a word with Kate." The other two women slipped silently out of the room, leaving the healer and the leader to talk. "Right. What's this about?"

"It's not _about_ anything, Lanie!" Kate spat. The last thing she needed was someone undermining her authority and showing favouritism and generally making her life difficult. Lanie was unimpressed, and met Kate's defiant glower with a stare of her own.

"It clearly is. You're not usually this bad. Last time you captured someone you personally made sure they were comfortable – so what's the deal this time?" She strained to hear Kate's mumble. "What?"

Kate cleared her throat. "She and Kevin…you know." The brunette waved her hands in a vague circle. "I don't like her. She's not good for him." A small smile had appeared on Lanie's lips. She'd seen this before.

"It's not your decision, Kate," she chided. "He's a grown man. He can take care of himself."

"I know that!" Kate protested hotly. "Just – he's my brother, and – he's only young, and-"

"You don't want to be replaced."

"Yeah." Kate sighed and rubbed the back of her hand over her eyes. "Is that stupid?" Lanie pulled her into a hug.

"No. It's normal. You've been the only woman in his life for a while, and you're defending your territory." She pulled back and inspected the face of the woman in front of her. Ever since they'd met, Lanie had known one thing about Kate Beckett: she protected those she loved. Woe betide anyone who tried to take one of her boys away. It was something that endeared her to all of them, knowing that she had their backs and they would always have hers, and that nothing could separate them. But sometimes, they just had to accept a new person into the family.

"So why are you angry?" Kate asked in confusion. She hadn't meant to be rude, it had just been a natural reaction. Lanie patted her on the shoulder.

"Think about Josh. How do you think Kevin feels about your relationship? You know he and Javi try to keep the men away – they're being protective too, but when they see you and him together, they know that you can look after yourself and that you know that they're there if you need them. They give you space. It's the same with Jenny. You're afraid that you won't see enough of Kevin, and that Jenny is going to hurt him, but Kate: don't you think he deserves someone who can make him happy? Can't you just give them a chance?"

Kate stayed silent, letting the words run through her head. Lanie was right, she knew, but she didn't have to like it, or accept it, or accept _her_. _Jenny_. Since when were they calling her by a shortened name? They couldn't be friends with her. She was a prisoner! A target, a hostage – a prize – but not someone to be welcomed into the circle without the least bit of care, surely?

"Where are you going?" Kate turned back from the door to see Lanie watching her.

"To check on my prisoner." When Lanie opened her mouth to argue once more, Kate cut her off.

"No, Lanie. I don't care that Kev might think he's in love with her; she's still my prisoner. This is my camp, and we run by my rules. I'll promise I'll think about what you said, but for now, she's not leaving that tent."

* * *

"Jennifer." Beckett nodded a curt greeting to the blonde, who was sat gracefully on the dusty forest floor next to Maddie. "I'm afraid I need to take you back to your…accommodation. I'm sure Maddie will visit you later."

"Becks." Maddie scrambled up, about to argue with the tall brunette who brushed her off with a disdainful glance.

"Not now, Maddison. I'm still the leader of the Outlaws and I would appreciated if I was treated as such – and if my requests were followed to the letter. You and Lanie have already gone against that today, and I would rather not get into another fight." With a jerk of her head, Beckett led Jennifer over to the tent where they usually kept the men they brought back from war.

"Beckett?" The quiet whisper of her name surprised the leader of the Merry Men and she shot a quick look to the side to check that it had come from her companion.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry." Beckett almost laughed. Here she was, being a complete bitch to a highborn lady, and she was the one being apologized to. Lanie would have her head if she found out.

"It's them who should be sorry," she replied abruptly, trying to keep her tone friendly and less hostile than before. "But thank you." She placed a hand on the younger woman's back to guide her into the tent, and turned to the two men on either side of the door, armed with short swords and looking red-faced and slightly guilty. "Rivers. Haynes. You do not let that woman out of here, do you understand me?"

"Yes, Beckett," they replied in unison. Well, at least not all of her authority had disappeared.


	20. Death

I think everyone will like this chapter - or at least how it ends!

Don't forget to review, favorite, follow, share with your OCD friends, etc, etc. *read that and pretend its Jenna Marbles's voice :P*

Hugs,

Vicky and Alex

* * *

The days following the failed attack to the King's castle passed quietly. No one talked a lot, and doubts between the men started sprouting. Men falsely accused each other of working for the King, of selling their tight-knit family out. It killed Beckett, little by little. She and Javi were going crazy trying to figure out who was the traitor. It was hard. No one liked to point at a friend and label him as a backstabber. Castle saw the situation from the outside and couldn't help but feel guilty; he had destroyed the Merry Men. At least his father would be proud now.

The activities had returned to the regular schedule, but the Merry Men no longer worked as a family. Everyone watched their own back now, always alert, wondering when the spy would attack again.

Beckett was still keeping her distance from Castle. Sometimes he caught her staring at him, with sadness in her eyes. Not knowing who had sold them out was destroying her slowly. He often wanted to walk over and hug her, but he knew that everything they had once had had died the day that he announced that he'd marry Meredith.

One day Castle's morning thoughts where interrupted by the sound of fist hitting a table and a very loud '_God, damn it!_' He turned to see Beckett grabbing her glass and throwing it against the floor. The sheriff's man breathed in and started walking towards her.

"Hey," he said shyly. It was the first time they had talked since she had shared part of her past with him. "Can I help you with something?"

"Can you tell me who the spy is?" the Queen of Thieves snapped, not looking at him. She was angry.

Richard kept quiet. Of course he couldn't tell her who the spy was. He'd end up suffering the most painful sentence: Beckett's disappointment.

"I'm sorry," Kate said after a while. "It frustrates me. Even Josh says I'm obsessing over it and I should let it go."

"I don't think you should let it go," Castle stated and placed his hand on her shoulder. "These men are your family, and someone betrayed your trust."

Kate opened her mouth to reply when Maddie ran into the tent. The man quickly removed his hand from the brunette.

"Thank God you are both here," she said trying to catch her breath. "The baby is coming."

Castle's looked lost for a minute, internally panicking. The baby was coming. He was going to be a father. He felt Kate shaking him out of his shock. Reminding himself to breathe, he followed the two women to Lanie's tent.

Inside Meredith was laying on a table and Lanie's head was between her bent knees.

"Ok, I can see the head," the healer said. Castle walked towards them and grabbed Meredith's hand.

"It's going to be fine." He kissed her forehead.

Kate watched them with a knot in her stomach. For nine months she had prepared for this, but now the moment had arrived, she didn't know what to do with herself. She had told herself she'd behave and act normal. She had promised herself she'd pretend to be happy for Meredith and Richard, at a time when they both deserved the support of their leader.

"Kate," the daydreaming woman could recognize a worried tone in Lanie's voice. "I need you to come over here and help me."

Kate nodded and walked towards her friend. She followed Lanie's directions as she had seen people follow hers – without question. Even if the Queen of Thieves was not used to following orders she was quite good at it, and she just hoped the healer wouldn't get used to it.

With a last push Lanie was able to take the baby out. A baby's cry was followed by Castle's exhalation. It was a girl; a beautiful baby girl. The healer handed the baby to Kate, who covered her with blanket and presented her to Castle.

Castle's happy beam shone like it had never shone before when he finally had the baby – his child - in his arms. He ran a finger down her cheek, marveling at the baby-like smoothness and then held her out to show to his future wife. There was no response from the redhead on the table.

"Meredith?" Kate reached for the new-born as Castle walked towards the woman who had just delivered his first child. "Meredith!" Panic flickered in his voice as he got closer. She was lying painfully still. Not a muscle twitched.

Kate looked down at the hungry baby, who was trying to reach for her breast, before she raised her gaze to see Castle holding Meredith's head with both of his hands, staring into her eyes with a pleading expression.

"Please wake up, Meredith. Please, don't leave me now – not now, Meredith – no, no! Meredith!" The leader of the Merry Men turned to face the healer, who just shook her head. Meredith had not survived the delivery.

Castle was rocking now, Meredith's body curled into his torso as tears streamed down his face and splashed onto the deathly pale skin. His whimpers were silent, his shoulders tense and taut in agony, and Kate longed to reach out and comfort him.

With a jolt, Kate realized that the baby she held was now motherless. Who would braid her hair? Who would teach her how to read and write? Who would sing to her before bed and listen to her stories during lunch time? Kate had lost her mother during her teen years and it had been rough for her – but how would it be for this little girl, who would never even meet her mother?

And most important of all, who would feed her during her first months?

"We need to talk." She heard and felt Lanie's hand on her back. "There are things that need to be arranged."


	21. Beginnings

I think this is personally one of my favorite chapters, dunno really why :P Enjoy!

Vicky and Alex

- here goes a line break but my stupid phone doesn't let me put it -

Kate hadn't told him where they were going. She just had come to his tent very early that morning and ordered him to follow her and they had been walking since then. Rick didn't have a clue where he was, instead just following Beckett like a lost puppy. She was not lost. She knew perfectly well where they were going. She had amazing orientation skills, something that had always impressed Castle.

They stopped in front of the remnants of a stone wall. Kate climbed the wall with no problem and stared down at Castle, her eyes taunting him to follow. He had no desire to climb the meter and half meter high wall. Ever since Meredith died he couldn't do anything else other than sleep and eat. Richard knew that Meredith was not the love of his life, but she had occupied a place in his heart. She had been a good friend, and an excellent lover. More importantly, she had left him with a child.

"I don't have all day," Kate said offering him a hand. Castle reached for it, watching the muscles in her arm tense as she pulled him up. Once Castle was by her side, she jumped down onto the other side of the wall, landing neatly and grinning up at him. "Come on, Castle."

Four or five meters behind the wall there was a clearing between the trees. The sunbeams passed between the trees' almost naked branches and lit up a small creek. The sound of the running water was accompanied by a bird's sweet song and the gentle rustle of the undergrowth as the forest creatures stirred. Richard breathed in.

"I found this place when my mom was killed," Kate explained quietly, jamming her sword in the ground with the hilt up.

"It's been my sanctuary since then." She took her boots off and dipped her toes in the water, testing the temperature before submerging them completely.

Beckett tapped the place next to her, inviting Castle to sit by her. Following her example, Castle took his own boots off languidly and flopped down next to her.

"It's beautiful," Rick let out as he watched the water flow in between his toes, and through the small gap between his and Kate's calves.

"Rick," she broke the silence after a while. "I know Meredith's death has been hard on you, but you have a daughter to take care of; she's already lost her mother, she can't lose her father as well."

After his daughter's birth he had held his baby for a while, until Meredith died. Then one of the happiest days of his life had turned black. He had left the baby at Lanie's tent and hadn't come back to pick her up - he hadn't even named her. He had returned to their – to _his_ – tent and drank wine until he passed out. He didn't even know if someone was breastfeeding. He only knew she was alive because he could hear her cry from his tent. His daughter was better off with the healer than with him anyway. Everyone was better off without him. That was why it was better if he was alone.

He looked at her, his eyes still puffy from crying and haunted by pain. He blinked twice before replying.

"I don't know what to do," the spy whispered, fighting back the tears in his eyes. "I'm alone, and I don't know what do to."

A single tear escaped his eyes and ran down his cheek. He felt so weak, so unmanly. His father would be ashamed of him.

"Oh, Castle," Kate gently wiped his tear away with the roughened pad of her thumb. "You are not alone. You have the Merry Men, you have me." She smiled softly at him. "We are family. As long as you are a part of our family, you are never alone."

Castle brought her close to him in a hug and held her tightly. No one had ever been this kind to him. No one had ever welcomed him and cared for him like the Merry Men had. As he inhaled the cherry scent of Beckett's hair he came to a realization and made a decision. Even if he had sworn loyalty to the Sheriff's men, he had never been part of that family. His family were the Outlaws, here is where he belonged. And here was were his loyalties would not, could not betray Beckett or the Merry Men, he would not bring Beckett to the King.

Just like his daughter's birth had marked the end of Meredith's life, it had marked a new start to his. He had been given a second chance and he was going to make the best of it.

He freed Beckett from his tight hug, but she didn't let go of him. Her arms were still around his back and her chin still rested on his shoulder. After a while she broke the embrace and looked into his eyes.

"Ok, first things first," she said while they pulled their footwear on. "We need to name your daughter."

Castle stood up first and offered a hand to help her. Kate reached for it. She was so light, he could pull her up without much effort. After Kate was standing in front of him, their gazes locked, hands still held in the other's grasp. They were raising his kid together. She cared so much for him that she'd raise other woman's child. He trusted her so much that he was allowing her to raise his new-born.

"It has to be something meaningful," he said, still staring at her. She raised an eyebrow. "The name, it has to be meaningful," he explained. "Katherine means pure, Richard means powerful - I want her to have a name that symbolizes something."

"What about Alexis?" she suggested as they started walking back the way they'd come.

"Alexis..." Richard stopped in front of the wall to think about it.

"It means helper." Kate climbed the wall and Rick followed her with no problem this time. They paused for a moment at the top.

"Alexis," he mused out loud. "The helper."

She would help him to find a new purpose, to become a better person. Yes, that name fit her well.

"I like it," Richard stated.

"Good, then let's go and bring Alexis home."

"Home?"

"I thought it would be good if I stayed with you for a while." Suddenly she was unsure of her decision. She hadn't thought much about how Castle would react to the idea of her taking up residence in his tent. "To keep an eye on both of you."

"Ok," he shrugged. "I just don't think Josh would like that.

Josh. She cursed internally. Of course Josh wouldn't like the fact that she was going to move in with Castle for a while. Why didn't she think about that before? Maybe it was because Rick needed her. Yes, this was the right decision. And she'd deal with Josh later.


	22. You And Me

Hello, guys!

I hope you like this chapter! If you do, show Alex your love with a comment - since she wrote this ep.

Also, we are coming to the end. We'll have somewhere between 5 to 10 additional chapters, still working on the story's end so we're not sure.

Hugs and see you next week!

Vicky and Alex.

* * *

"Hey, hey now," Beckett cooed to the baby balanced on her hip, chubby fingers pressed against her cheek and an unmistakable baby smell radiating off her as she hiccuped and slowly stopped crying. "There, that's better," the leader of the Outlaws smiled. It was early morning and the sun was just beginning to settle in the sky, sending beams of golden light into the clearing.

For the first number of weeks, Beckett had stayed by Castle's tent to make sure she was nearby if needed, but as the days wore on, she had started to move her things back to her tent to give Rick and Alexis some room.

However, Castle's daughter had recently started teething and as such, had spent the last few nights awake and craving attention from her father. Poor Rick had had very little sleep - so on an impulse Kate had invited him to swap tents with her for a couple of days while he recovered, leaving her to feed, wash, clean and cuddle the young girl.

She suddenly had a new-found respect for mothers.

It quickly became apparent that Alexis would not settle without being able to see Castle, so the baby-care unit had since migrated into Beckett's tent instead, where the baby slept between them on the forest floor. Only Lanie was allowed to know of this arrangement: Maddie was already convinced that Kate wanted to adopt Alexis in order to have "little Castle babies without the pains of childbirth", so alerting her to the fact that they now shared a tent when the original need was gone was just adding more fuel to the fire.

The whole camp knew that she was Alexis's surrogate mother, though. They all noticed how her smile reached her eyes again, something that hadn't happened since the attack on Bracken's castle, and it was a relief to see their leader return to her usual self.

"Kate?" She turned to see Josh standing behind her, hair tousled, rubbing his eyes. "What are you doing up at this time?"

"The little one needed something to chew on," she explained. She reached up to kiss him, but he turned away at the last minute so it brushed his cheek. Turning back to Alexis, she tried to hide her hurt.

"Well, I'll see you later," Josh said, before wandering off.

Kate stared after him. He had been oddly disinterested in her since the attack. It wasn't that she was one of those women who craved attention every minute of every day - but still, it was nice to know that your significant other wanted to spend time with you, that he was there for you, and you were there for him and you both could just dive into problems together. They had yet to share a tent, and she half wondered if Josh was somehow angry that Castle got that privilege before he did, despite the absence of romance between her and Rick.

Alexis gurgled happily over her shoulder at the sound of heavy footsteps, and she felt her smile return as she came face to face with Castle. He took Alexis from her and playfully rubbed his nose with the squealing child's as she grabbed a handful of his hair and closed her mouth around his chin.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "For looking after her. I - it was nice to pretend for a bit that it was just me," he admitted.

"I - you're welcome - but - do you r_egret_ her, Castle?" She was astounded. She knew the pregnancy hadn't been planned, but even when he had turned to the bottle, Rick had never said anything about not wanting his daughter.

"No," he admitted. "But, doesn't she deserve someone who can look after her? A mother? Even Meredith would be better for her than me."

"Well, she doesn't have a choice: you're her father, Rick. Meredith's not here, so you'll have to be parent enough for the two of you." It was harsh, but that was reality.

"Beckett - I can't do this! It's - it's - I'm a soldier, a fighter - I'm not father material!" Beckett looked at him sternly.

"You sacrificed your life and freedom for your sister, you are more than capable of doing this."

Culpability tingled in his chest. If she only knew that that story was not true, she would not hold him in such high esteem. Truth was, he was not anything like the man Kate thought he was. He was a selfish liar with a hidden agenda.

"But what if I can't?" he asked her, trying to ignore his guilty thoughts. "What if she - if she dies? I shouldn't be looking after a child, Beckett, really."

"And that's why I'm helping you," Beckett assured him. "No one expects you to do this alone."

"But you've got no obligation - this isn't your problem - "

"Are you part of the Outlaws?" Rick nodded. "Is Alexis the child of an Outlaw?" He nodded again. "Then, yes, Rick, this is my problem. Anything concerning the Outlaws is my problem. Whether you like it or not, Alexis will not be left alone to grow up."

Josh trudged along the path, kicking stones out of his way as he trailed his bow behind him.

He was fed up.

For so long he had struggled to be accepted into the group, something that hadn't been made any easier by the arrival of easy-going, charming Castle, and the moment it starts to look up - the moment he is seen by Kate Beckett, of all people - that newbie has to go and get his bitch pregnant.

Beckett was _his_.

His attraction to her was mutual, he knew. That didn't stop him hating that she seemed very good friends with Castle. She shouldn't _have_ other friends. He was all she should need, a friend and a lover combined, provider and protector, till death parted them.

Josh unleashed a howl of anger at the tree in front of him, throwing himself down on the floor to glare at the canopy of trees as though it was Castle.

"Josh?"

He looked up. Kate was standing there, framed by the sunlight, hand on cocked hip, affectionate smirk on her lips. Spending a moment just looking at her, he sighed in contentment, before she crouched down and swept a lock of hair off his forehead, her smirk turning into a full beam. He scrambled up to stand next to her and captured her hands in his.

"Finally," he breathed. Kate's grin turned shy as she stepped into his embrace.

"Finally what?"

"Finally, I have you all to myself."

"I'm sorry I've been so busy," she murmured, snaking her arms round his waist and laying her head on his chest. He sighed again.

"I just can't work out why you'd rather look after some little kid than be with me."

The brunette stepped back and tilted her head on one side to look at him.

"I've just been helping Rick, that's all - "

"Oh, Rick, is it? That would figure, what with all the time you spend with him - "

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It's always 'Alexis this', 'Alexis that' - it's never me!" Josh's tone was flecked with anger. "You give up your free time for that idiot Castle, and his stupid kid, but never me!"

"Josh, she's a baby," Kate tried to reason. "I can't help that she's Castle's - "

"He's a grown man! He should be able to raise her himself!"

"Joshua." She was growling now, not that she cared. Anyone who threatened the survival of one of her flock would face Mama Bear Beckett. "That child's mother is dead. She needs another parent-figure to watch over her, and it is my decision as to whether I take up that position, and my decision alone."

"But she's not yours! And it's not just your decision - we're together, we're a unit! I refuse to raise another man's child!"

Beckett took a step nearer him. Her whole frame was shaking with suppressed anger, and her fists were clenched in an effort to not punch him.

"These are my Outlaws. Each person here, whether young or old, is part of my family. I let you in here. I took you in when no one else would. So don't tell me you'd rather I let this baby die just because you're jealous of Castle."

Josh stared at her. "I'm not - I'm not _jealous_, Kate. If anything, he's the one who's jealous of _me_."

"Oh?" Beckett's voice had got dangerously low yet Josh carried on going.

"I mean, who wouldn't be, having you by my side. It brings me a whole new level of respect, being with the Queen of Thieves - the people back home would all be so envious, knowing that you're mine."

"So I'm just some prize to take you up the ranks?" Kate could hardly believe what she was hearing. Josh was using her? Treating her like a possession just because he wanted to be one of the boys? And then, on top of that, he had the nerve to suggest she abandon Alexis to her competent-yet-somewhat-childish father.

"Well, no, I mean, you're pretty nice too - "

"_Pretty nice_?"

"And you're certainly not bad to look at - "

"We're over."

Josh paused mid-flow. His jaw hung open in a comical gape as he floundered. "What?"

"We're over. Finished. _Done_. You and me. Except now, it's me."

"Kate, come on - "

"No, Davidson. There's nothing to say."

And with that, she stalked away.


End file.
